translated from Spanish: Senate Approves Bill to make Florida teachers to carry weapons

Miami, Florida-the Florida Senate approved Tuesday a controversial Bill that allows teachers who wish it to go armed in schools, although they should be previously receive proper training and overcome a psychological evaluation. The State Senate approved with 22 votes in favour and 17 against the Bill SB-7030, which includes, among other things, arming teachers in schools. The legislator Anitere Flores was the only Senator from the Republican party, which dominates both Chambers, who voted against the Bill, and joined the sense of vote of all Democrats. The idea of this measure, which is expected to be also approved in the lower House, it emerged after the shooting that took the lives of 17 people and left other 15 wounds at a school in Parkland (South Florida) in February 2018.

AFP

Its main driving force is the Republican Senator Manny Díaz, Hialeah Garden, who defends the hypothesis that the killing could have avoided or at least reduced the number of dead, if teachers had been armed.

According to this law, teachers who voluntarily wish to go armed in the College will need to complete a course of 100 hours of training under a program on the use of weapons. Several civil organizations, trade unions of teachers and parents of students are opposed to this measure controversy that essentially transforms into law enforcement teachers. However, the President of the State Senate, the Republican Bill Galvano, said legislation to improve coordination among education personnel, law enforcement officers and mental health personnel to “ensure that at-risk students receive the help that they need until a tragedy happens.”

AFP

The seconds are important when you stop a shooter. This legislation ensures that provided for school personnel, including classroom teachers, the training and the resources to be the last line of Defense between an innocent child and a violent criminal offender, said.

The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, presented last February a security plan based on the recommendations made by a Commission formed after the shooting in the secondary Marjory Stoneman Douglas from Parkland and which included the presence of armed guards .



Original source in Spanish