The Senate Criminal Justice Committee passed a bill on Monday to allow school district superintendents and principals to appoint teachers and school employees to carry guns on public school campuses, passing by a vote of 3-2.
SB 180, sponsored by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, would permit a school superintendent to authorize a "school safety designee" to carry a concealed weapon on public school property.
Safety designees could include active-duty military members, military veterans, and active or retired law enforcement officers.
The main goal of the legislation is to "prevent violent crimes from occurring on school grounds" by allowing safety designees to carry concealed weapons on preschool, elementary, middle and high school campuses.
Barbara Holly, a former elementary school principal, said she wash't comfortable with the idea of bringing guns onto public school campuses, explaining that school access to resource officers was sufficient for keeping schools safe.
"We are just opposed to the idea that having more guns will make children safer," she told the committee.
Dr. Barbara Kirby Bentley, a former Seminole County school principal, saw the potential for an influx in gun violence as a result of angry children whose brains had not yet fully developed.
Educator Kirby Bentley also questioned whether the bill was a good idea since there is no requirement to have safety designees undergo a mental health evaluation.
"What if [a] volunteer is a parent who has issues?" she asked the committee, adding that having guns on campus wouldn't make her feel safe as an educator.
Some committee members expressed reservations over whether school safety officers were actually necessary to protect students from violent crimes.
Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, said he couldn't hop on board with the bill because he believes the state should pay for school police officers instead.
"I'm still not all the way there yet [with this bill]," he explained.
The bill's House counterpart, HB 19, sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, whizzed through a House subcommittee two weeks ago and was reported favorably by the House Appropriations Committee Monday.
