The great gun control debate has returned to America in a major way in 2021, thanks to a number of heinous crimes committed by clearly disturbed individuals, some of whom had chosen to use a firearm in their massacres.
Of particular concern was the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas, in which police appeared unwilling to confront the shooter, despite being on-scene and hearing gunshots ringing out within the school.
Now, as the Democrats among us suggest that new gun laws will somehow prevent outlaws from committing such atrocious acts, lawmakers in Ohio are taking a far more direct approach to keeping our kids safe.
Ohio school districts could begin arming employees as soon as this fall under a bill signed into law Monday by GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.
The law, as enacted, requires up to 24 hours of training before an employee can go armed, and up to eight hours of annual training. The training programs must be approved by the Ohio School Safety Center, and DeWine announced he’s ordering the center to require the maximum 24 hours and the maximum eight hours.
The bill is part of a comprehensive package aimed at strengthening the security of Ohio’s schools.
Before announcing the bill signing, the governor outlined several other school safety measures he and lawmakers have promoted, including $100 million for school security upgrades in schools and $5 million for upgrades at colleges.
The state is also adding 28 employees to the school safety center to work with districts on safety issues and to provide training under the new law. Ohio has also provided $1.2 billion in wellness funding for schools to address mental health and other issues, the governor said.
The move comes as the Senate appears poised to pass one of the first bipartisan gun control measures in over two decades, despite vehement opposition from the NRA.
