Yesterday, news spread that Dallas state Rep. Jason Villalba would file a bill allowing school officials to carry concealed weapons on school grounds, thus obviously stopping every school shooter in his tracks. First off, that already exists, said the Star-Telegram‘s Bud Kennedy:
Even as lawmakers in Austin race to file bills giving teachers the freedom to carry guns, some already do in one Northwest Texas school and maybe more. Texas law not only allows schools to hire police and plainclothes officers, but also says anyone can carry with officials’ OK.
“We have all the laws we need,” said Mansfield school district Police Chief Mike Leyman, vice president of a statewide association for campus police.
But he also said chiefs aren’t thrilled at the idea.
“If a teacher had a gun and a bad guy has a gun, it’s tough for us to tell who’s the good guy,” he said.
Before Kennedy flipped the script on everyone (as he often does), Republicans statewide jumped on the issue.
Former Dallas County Republican Party chairman Jonathan Neerman:
Arming educators as the “last line of defense” is bad policy for Texas. Period. #txlege
– Jonathan Neerman (@JonathanNeerman) December 19, 2012
State Attorney General Greg Abbott used a quote that has been debunked as a Jefferson quote, by the folks at Monticello:
“Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.” Thomas Jefferson
– Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 19, 2012
Jason Villalba took to Twitter to answer everyone’s questions. His first point was one of clarification:
The legislation is NOT about teacher carry.It is about having trained under cover law enforcement officers on campus.
– Jason Villalba (@JasonVillalba) December 18, 2012
So, sort-of like a Never Been Kissed situation?
