HARRISBURG, Pa. — In the wake of the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, State Senator and GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano is planning to introduce legislation that would allow teachers to be armed on school grounds.
According to a statement by Mastriano, teachers who already have concealed carry permits would be allowed to bring their guns onto campus. Any staff members who want to carry a gun must complete a rigorous firearms course from a certified instructor.
The proposed bill comes days after Ohio passed similar legislation.
Rich Askey with the Pennsylvania State Education Association says Mastriano’s proposal won’t do anything to address school safety. He argues that allowing school staff to bring more guns into school is a dangerous proposition.
“This proposed legislation is nothing short of outrageous," said Askey. “The concept of bringing more guns to solve this crisis is totally off base. What you’re doing is putting students, staff, and first responders into a very dangerous situation.”
Craig Ollivier is a high school social studies teacher at the Pottstown School District. He says he’s dealt with at least 30 lockdowns due to school threats in his eight years of teaching.
Ollivier says he’s on the fence with allowing teachers to carry guns in school but leans slightly in favor of the proposal.
“I’m for it, as long as there’s training and measures that are taken to make sure we have the best people in place to keep us safe," said Ollivier.
He says more action needs to be taken to ensure the safety of students and teachers in Pennsylvania.
“Whether it’s more security outside the school buildings, whether it’s metal detectors, whether a police officer is walking the building, or maybe all three is what we need," suggested Ollivier. "Something needs to be done.”
Mastriano’s gubernatorial opponent Josh Shapiro released a statement regarding his plans to address gun safety and schools.
Shapiro says he wants to put mental health counselors in every school, implement universal background checks, and stronger red flag laws in Pennsylvania.