OK GOP Pushes Local Control on Arming Teachers for Classroom Defense

Oklahoma State Sen. David Bullard (R-Durant) and State Rep. Sean Roberts (R-Hominy) are pushing legislation to streamline arming teachers for classroom defense.

The Examiner-Enterprise reports Oklahoma currently allows teachers to be armed for classroom defense, but only after they pass a “240-hour” course for Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training certification.

Bullard and Roberts note the course is both too costly and time consuming for rural school districts to take advantage of it. Ironically, rural districts are the ones with the longest police response time and, therefore, are arguably the ones in greatest need of armed teachers.

Bullard and Roberts are rallying behind House Bill 2336, which would change requirements so that “school personnel who undergo the eight-hour concealed carry class or the 72 hours of armed security guard training would be eligible to carry on campus at K-12 schools.”

Tulsa World reports Bullard stressed that changing the carry training for teachers not only makes the classroom defense option more accessible, but also means teachers will receive local training (vs. centralized training). He said, “If we do it with local control, they will train specifically for their campus.

The Oklahoma Senate passed the legislation on Wednesday and it is now with the House for a vote.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.