A Lafayette area lawmaker says giving guns to teachers is not the way to make the state’s public schools safer.
State representative Sheila Klinker says she’s not opposed to having armed law enforcement professionals employed by schools.
But she says teachers have enough to worry about without adding security officer to their job description.
Klinker is a member of the House Ways and Means committee, which altered a Senate school safety bill to allow schools to opt out of a requirement to employ armed safety officers.
Other provisions added to the legislation would prohibit armed employees who aren’t police officers from carrying a visible gun and require schools to keep the identities of those authorized to carry firearms confidential.
The bill is being considered by the full House.