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All About Guns Born again Cynic! Dear Grumpy Advice on Teaching in Today's Classroom

New Ohio law allows teachers to carry guns in schools without a permit

Governor Mike DeWine signs law which also applies to custodians and bus drivers, while slashing training requirements
Governor Mike DeWine: ‘This does not require any school to arm teachers or staff. Every school will make its own decision.’
Governor Mike DeWine: ‘This does not require any school to arm teachers or staff. Every school will make its own decision.’ Photograph: David Richard/AP

Ohio’s permitless gun carry law for “qualifying” adults went into effect on Monday – a measure that would lift restrictions on school teachers, custodians and bus drivers from carrying firearms at work.

After Governor Mike DeWine announced he signed House Bill 99, which lowers the required training hours for armed personnel from 728 hours to 24 hours, DeWine said he still preferred law enforcement officers to carry the guns at schools.

Signed into law after 19 children and two teachers were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the legislation no longer makes it a requirement for Ohioans aged 21 and older to complete eight hours of the handgun training course to carry and conceal a firearm. And it eliminates the requirement for gun carriers to tell police officers they have a concealed weapon on them, though they must say if they are asked.

“My office worked with the general assembly to remove hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety and to ensure training requirements were specific to a school environment and contained significant scenario-based training,” DeWine said in a statement after the bill passed earlier this month.

He thanked lawmakers “for passing this bill to protect Ohio children and teachers”.

DeWine said local school districts may still prohibit guns on school grounds. “This does not require any school to arm teachers or staff,” he said. “Every school will make its own decision.”

While school boards will not be required to arm personnel, they will have to notify parents if they choose to do so. Boards can mandate additional training beyond what is required in the new state law.

According to the bill, training must include how to stop an active shooter, how to de-escalate a violent situation, trauma care and first aid, at least four hours in “scenario-based or simulated training exercises” and completing “tactical live firearms training”.

Republican state lawmakers have said that HB 99 was a “doing something” response to the Uvalde massacre and other recent deadly mass shootings.

However, Democratic politicians in the state have argued against the measure, saying that lifting carry laws for teachers was not what the community was asking for. “They’re not asking for no guns. They’re asking for background checks,” state representative Juanita Brent, a Democrat from Cleveland, said after the bill passed.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 28 states allow people other than security officers to carry guns on school grounds. A 2018 Gallup poll showed that 73% of teachers opposed the idea.

In Ohio, school employees have been allowed to carry guns on school grounds for years as long as the local school board consents. The Ohio supreme court ruled in 2021 that they should receive the same 700 hours of training as law enforcement officials or security officers.

In Ohio, “permitless carry” applies only to adults over 21 who are not prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law. Under the new law, adults who can lawfully own a firearm will be able to conceal carry a handgun without a permit or background checks.

———————————————————————————–   As a retired teacher I think that this is a REALLY BAD IDEA! As I would not trust most of the Teachers that I worked with a Swiss Army Knife let alone a gun. Also how about just hiring instead some retired Cops. As I am sure that a lot of them wouldn’t mind picking up a few bucks and being around kids. Instead of  some hardened Psycho with a machete etc. etc. Grumpy

3 replies on “New Ohio law allows teachers to carry guns in schools without a permit”

Oh yeah we need some douche face cops around out kids. Fuck that. We have enough problems with the cops trying to fuck the cheerleaders in 9th grade. How can you like so much cool gun stuff and be such a fucking ass hat at the same time? Are you really that stupid? I mean I kind of think you might be? Retired school teacher? I’m a fucking retired cop. There. Put that in your pipe. Maybe stfu and leave the critical thinking to others and just keep posting gun stuff cause every time you post your thoughts it’s kinda fucking sad. Sorry you don’t have kids to tell you this. Wake the fuck up.

Hedge, take a powder. If that is your normal way of dealing with disagreement I have to deduce you made a very poor cop and we’re fortunate to have you off the beat.

Living in a permitless carry state I’m always glad to see another one join the fold. We don’t need the state’s permission to exercise our rights.

Frankly I think 24 hours of training is enough assuming the teacher must pass before they can carry on the job. Law-abiding people who aren’t comfortable with guns generally don’t feel comfortable carrying. Those who elect to become sheepdogs will come from the other camp or wash out because instructors can tell who can cut it and won’t sign off on a gamble.

A huge segment of the population here carries and most have little if any formal training. I have never in almost 30 years heard of a case where an armed good guy unjustifiably shot a bad guy. I don’t think Ohioans or Californians are different in that regard.

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