In a blow to lovers of gun-free zones everywhere, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a number of bills designed to improve school security. Included in the measures are provisions to fund school personnel training and lift a cap on the number of armed teachers and other employees allowed in the state’s schools.
As the Austin American Statesman reports,
[Under SB 11] School districts will be able to use the extra $10 per student toward improving the infrastructure of their campuses to make them safer; employing school resource officers or training school marshals (school employees voluntarily trained to use a gun on school property); and active shooter training among other provisions. …
HB 1387 eliminates the cap on the number of school marshals. Supporters told lawmakers that having an unlimited amount of school marshals can help rural school districts that can’t afford or otherwise don’t have access to an on-campus police force. Some law enforcement agencies are skeptical of school marshals because they aren’t trained to the same degree as peace officers, and other opponents believe more guns on campus threatens students’ safety.
Here’s the Associated Press’s report:
By JIM VERTUNO
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law several measures meant to boost school security, including ones that will allow armed teachers in schools and increase mental health services for students.
The bills signed Thursday were passed this year in response to the 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School near Houston that killed eight students and two substitute teachers, and wounded 13 other people. A student at the school has been charged in the killings.
One of the new laws allows schools to arm as many teachers and campus personnel as local officials see fit. The state’s school marshal program requires marshals to undergo 80 hours of training, including active shooter scenarios.
Teachers groups and gun control advocates have opposed allowing more guns in schools.
Texas lawmakers did not pass any new gun restrictions after the shooting.
The AP says that like it’s a bad thing.
gun free zones are as stupid as wanting to outlaw internal combustion engines
They are as stupid(and illegal) as mandatory vaccine laws.
There’s that autism, again…
Derp….
Seriously dude, OK, we get it. You oppose vaccines. That’s fine. You do you.
You dont need to put it into literally EVERY SINGLE COMMENT. This isn’t the site for it. You’re not convincing anyone.
What’s wrong with you?
Must have been vaccinated when he was young.
The only logical explanation is that he’s a shill for big pharma. He’s here to make anti vaxxers look retarded and drive folks to want vaccines.
if a store wants to ban gun owners. That’s their business. The government should not be able to say either way though.
Sure, as long as the store owners can be held liable when someone is hurt or killed because they weren’t allowed to defend themselves. This is an actual policy in some places, and it makes business owners think twice about a “gun free zone” rule.
Don’t shop at a store that bans them then? Or maybe hide your gun well enough? If they see it they should ask you to leave if you refuse trespassing. Why would they be liable for you willingly not carrying in their store and it gets robbed and you get shot? You chose to go in.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think any store should ban them. I don’t think it’s any of the governments business though.
As we know, laws vary depending on the jurisdiction. What if it’s a felony to carry in a place of business where you have to go to pick up a package at place like FedEx? You leave your gun in your vehicle because maybe they have metal detectors. You go in while a disgruntled employee decides to open fire on everyone.
I know that sounds like a stretch, but you get the point. I agree with you, but I’m lucky enough to live in a place where I don’t sweat discreetly carrying in gun free businesses.
Carrying at FedEx is a felony?
Pg2, It’s probably a misdemeanor in some places. It’s an extreme example of criminalizing lawful carriers. Look at some of the outlandish proposals in blue cities / states. This is where they’re heading. The point is, if they disarm you, then they should be held responsible for your safety, including your legal fees when you sue them for being shot on their property.
Also schools are government run. They definitely should not be able to do gun free zones. I mean private businesses.
I say live and let live. I have never protested stores prohibiting firearms, and they have never protested me carrying anyway. And I just saw a new ad for SneakyPete holsters that disguises them as all manner of other stuff, I think my next will pretend to be a “powerpack” battery bank. Cool.
Biatec,
Liberty does not empower ANYONE (public or private) to ban effective self-defense. Furthermore, our unalienable sanctity of human life PROHIBITS anyone (public or private) from banning effective self-defense.
Therefore, no one (public nor private) can ban effective self-defense unless effective self-defense is off-the-charts dangerous, such as inside an environment with explosive gases.
Choice and alternate options for any activity, resource, product, or service are irrelevant and strawman arguments.
I was in Austin earlier this year and was amazed to see those “no firearms allowed” signs posted on some store’s front windows.
Really? I live in Austin and have never noticed. Or at least that is what I’ll say if they ever notice I am packing. But no one has noticed yet.
Weird thing is. Here in NYC you really dont see gun-buster signs. For such a liberal shithole you would think they would be everywhere.
Good for Texas. A state that has long had the false image of being a leader in protecting the Second Amendment rights of its people.
That is only a part of the solution to violence. The other is to prevent violence in the first place.
We are a leader, the state government is lagging behind; what else is new?
A lot of people will tell you Austin is not in Texas. And if everybody is armed (thanks, guv!) crime will go way down, as criminals die.
End gun free zones where ever they exist in the nation and the number of mass shootings will drop,Texas takes a step forward to that end.
Government $$$???
My understanding is the F.A.S.T.E.R. program is privately funded in Ohio and Colorado. Does Texas law prevent private funding for armed teacher training?
Press Release…
Headline:
Texas Governor signs bill rolling back – a little – state ban on people n schools protecting kids already in their care…
Lede:
Schools are already among the safest places for kids to be, and studies and examples have shown that when spree killings start, they stop when active, armed protectors show up. This bill rolls back limitations stopping people already vetted to teach our kids, from protecting our kids if that’s what’s needed.
Body:
We have a great tradition in The Republic of Texas of self-reliance complemented by care for our neighbors.
— We saw it again in recent flooding when Texans, and our neighbors like The Cajun Navy used their talents to help people who needed it. They used their boats n skill to rescue people, not to loot or worse (As some suggested might happen. It didn’t.)
— We’ve seen it with good people in Texas, and our neighbors like in Florida, even exposing themselves to harm, using guns to stop horrors in progress.
— We’ve seen it with people, adults and children, students n teachers, designated law enforcement n not, doing what they can for others at risk, even when not armed themselves.
With this change we stop disarming a few of the good people who’ve been barred from arms on school grounds or at school activities since the prior law. As there has never been a teacher spree kiling in their school, indeed, we hear always of teachers who in the moment do anything they can for their kids with what they have, we think it’s a good bet to allow them better tools, if they choose.
In signing the bill, the Governor is quoted as saying: “This lets us get out of the way of a few more Texans doing the right thing. They’re good people. We’ll all be better for it.”
I will bet there will be more dead dinks than students.
I wish Arizona’s legislators would grow a pair and take a stand against the liberal cupcakes who are afraid of guns, don’t care about students’ safety, and want everyone to accept being a victim. Earlier this spring two RINO state senators voted against a bill that would have allowed firearm owners to bring their loaded, concealed gun onto school property when picking up or dropping off their children. The guns would have to remain in a locked vehicle out of sight. This would have made everyone safer by reducing the required administrative handling to unload the weapon as required by current law or loading/unloading children on the street off school property. The “guns are evil” crowd mounted an intense campaign and succeeded in defeating this common sense legislation. My beloved Red state is becoming way too Blue.
And still no contitutional carry in texas a state that should have had it 20+ years ago when we were still an actual gun friendly state. Here we are in 2017 and i can no longer carry long guns in a rack on my pickups rear window without risking a felony stop by leos or getting my rifles stolen by a gangbanger from honduras. The only gun laws here thats worth a shit in the last 20 years is the safe travel law that allows you to carry a handgun in your vehicle without having a carry license passed by perry. And the law that keeps criminals or their family from suing you in civil court if you kill or wound a criminal in progress of a crime.