Alabama Bill Proposes To Arm Teachers After Florida Shooting

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – An Alabama lawmaker wants to allow the state’s teachers to carry guns in school following a deadly school shooting in Florida last week.

Republican Rep. Will Ainsworth of Guntersville said Tuesday that parents and teachers in his districts asked for the measure after a school shooter killed 17 in Parkland, Fla.

Ainsworth’s proposal would allow teachers to carry concealed pistols if they undergo 40 hours of law enforcement training and a mental health evaluation.

Ainsworth says there’s not always enough time for a security guard to respond to a shooting.

Rep. Christopher England, a Democrat from Tuscaloosa, says the bill doesn’t offer a long-term solution or address mental illness.

Republican Governor Kay Ivey, a former teacher, said educators have their hands full and would consider another way to provide protection.

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