By the Indiana Capital Chronicle
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers on Wednesday advanced a bill that seeks to provide state-funded firearms training for school personnel — including teachers.
Bill author Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, said the proposal serves as a response to deadly mass shootings at schools across the country.
Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour
The bill would reallocate funding from the Indiana Safe Schools fund — and others like it — for optional firearms instruction for school employees. It additionally provides state dollars for counseling services for students, teachers, school staff and employees in the event of a school shooting.
“What we’ve seen consistent throughout all of these school shootings is just a massive breakdown. And not just school policy — police tactics, communications, open doors left in schools where shooters can walk through, and of these are all human mistakes,” Lucas said. “The purpose of this bill is to train teachers and staff — that volunteer and want to have the ability to defend themselves — a chance to survive.”
House Democrats opposed the effort, however, maintaining that Lucas’ bill amounts to a “coordinated campaign” meant to put more guns in schools, as opposed to decreasing threats to students and school staff through resources and “commonsense proposals.”
The measure passed 9-4 from the House Education Committee and now heads to Ways and Means for further consideration, due to its financial impact.
It was one of nearly a dozen education-related bills lawmakers debated on Wednesday. Other bills up for consideration included those to require high schoolers to apply for federal financial aid, limit the use of high school graduation waivers, and ensure students can access college transcripts.
Police resource officers are typically responsible for school safety. But under current Indiana law, school districts can also allow designate people — including teachers — to carry guns in schools. No training is required.
Lucas’ bill does not mandate firearm training requirements for teachers or school staff, but he said it does make it available to anyone who wants to “feel safer.”
Currently, a school corporation can receive a matching grant from the Indiana Secured School Fund for its security program once per year. The bill would up the amount of additional grants schools can receive for firearms training or counseling.
The voluntary program for teachers would involve 40 hours of training for firearm safety and use, designed to “take the average person on the street and get them to a level of proficiency that — in the event of an active shooter situation — they will at least have an opportunity to defend themselves and those around them, if they so choose,” Lucas said.
He added that the training is based on that which law enforcement officials currently use.
Chris Lagoni, executive director of the Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association, said the group supports additional training that could help increase safety in Indiana’s smaller school district.
“I’m not sure people understand how many – how few – officers are actually on duty in a rural county if something were to happen,” he said.
— The Indiana Capital Chronicle covers the Indiana Statehouse. For more information, visit https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/
