Following the tragic shooting that took place in an Uvalde elementary school weeks ago, many are trying to find protective measures to prevent such an event from taking place again. But instead of waiting to see what President Joe Biden could do, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has taken matters into his own hands.
The Governor recently signed a bill that allows teachers and other adults in Ohio schools to carry weapons with a reduced amount of training. The bill, House Bill 99, only requires up to 24 hours of weapons training before an individual would be able to have a weapon within the school. That said, institutions do have the option to opt-out, if they feel it may be too much.
Previously, adults, teachers and staff members were required to go through 700 hours of training before obtaining a firearm. This bill would obviously expediate the process, much to the displeasure of certain government officials against the bill.
The only real question now is if this will motivate other districts to pass their own version of the bill. To discuss this in further detail, we’ve invited a spokesperson from the 2nd Amendment Foundation to provide their perspective, and why this could be a protective measure when it comes to keeping students safe.
Q&A:
- How much of a “win” would you say this is when it comes to protecting children and allowing teachers and other adults to dispose of would-be threats?
- There are some that criticize the bill, thinking the lack of training could be harmful in the long run. What do you think of their criticism?
- Is it possible that other states could use some form of the bill within their districts? Or is there something else they may consider?
- This seems to be one step closer to the “open-carry” logic that a number of people at Second Amendment are behind. Could this motivate the government to take a closer look at the stature?
- How much time do you think needs to be set aside to properly train someone with a firearm? The previous law asked for 700 hours, but with this bill, it’s shortened to 24 hours. Is there somewhere in-between that’s a “comfort” zone, or is there a lot to learn within a 24-hour period?
- Where can we learn more about the Second Amendment Foundation and its members?
- Those interested can visit http://www.saf.org/.
Second Amendment Foundation spokespersons available to be your guest:
ABOUT CHRIS CHENG (In Pacific Time)
Chris Cheng serves on the advisory council to the Second Amendment Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He is the History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 Champion and author of the book “Shoot to Win.” Cheng is an Asian D&I advocate in the gun community, a former Google employee who went from self-taught amateur to pro shooter.
ABOUT CAM EDWARDS (In Eastern Time)
Cam Edwards is the editor at Bearing Arms-dot-com and hosts the popular podcast Cam & Company that focuses on Second Amendment news and information. Cam is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has worked in radio, television, and online media for over two decades. He currently lives on a small farm with his family near Farmville, Virginia, and is a member of the board of Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms.
ABOUT MARK WALTERS (in Eastern Time):
Mark Walters is a member of the board of directors for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. As a nationally syndicated host of two talk radio programs, Armed American Radio and Armed American Radio’s Daily Defense, Mark is heard on hundreds of stations weekly across the country. Mark is the co-founder of Armed American News and the recipient of the 2015 “Gun Rights Defender of the Year award.” In addition, Mark Walters is co-author of three books, including Lessons from Armed America, Lessons from Unarmed America, and Grilling While Armed.
ABOUT LEE WILLIAMS (In Eastern Time)
Lee Williams is also known as The Gun Writer and has been writing about the Second Amendment, firearms, the firearms industry, and the gun culture for more than ten years. He is the Chief Editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Reporting Project and is a frequent contributor to Ammoland News and Armed American Radio. In addition, Lee serves as a board member of Florida Carry, Inc. He was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming a newspaper editor, Lee was an investigative reporter in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. Lee has earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter and three medals of valor as a police officer.
ABOUT DAVE WORKMAN (In Pacific Time):
Dave Workman is an award-winning career journalist and senior editor of TheGunMag.com. He writes for Liberty Park Press, Conservative Firing Line, and is communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. He has authored Op-Ed pieces in several major newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and co-authored seven books with Second Amendment Foundation Alan Gottlieb. Workman’s beat is firearms, from politics to the outdoors. He is widely considered an authority on firearms, concealed carry, and gun politics.
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing, and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 700,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
CONTACT: To schedule an interview, contact Jerry McGlothlin of Special Guests PR Agency at 919-437-0001orjerry.specialguests@gmail.com
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