On Tuesday, a proposal was placed in HB 1083 that would allow for teachers and other school faculty to carry a firearm after emergency response training. The proposal came out of Senate Judiciary A Committee.
The proposal was placed into House Bill 1083 by Sen. Briggs Hopson. The Vicksburg Republican chairs the committee. The plan would apply to public and private schools, as well as universities and community and junior colleges.
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves had this to say about the new proposal:
“The safety of our students while in the classroom should never be in question, but that is not a given in today’s schools, unfortunately,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said. “By allowing more school staff to receive proper training on how to respond to immediate threats, I hope we can avoid the tragedies we’ve seen on campuses around the country and in Mississippi.”
The amendment allows school leaders the option to seek proper emergency response training through an approved course by the Department of Public Safety. Staff members could provide immediate protection before law enforcement arrives on campus.
No word yet on what that specific training would look like.
The effort is an expansion of the Mississippi Community Oriented Policing Services program, which passed in 2013. That program matched local funds to place more trained officers in public schools around the state.
Sarah Ulmer
