COLUMBUS, Ohio – A bill that would allow trained school district employees to carry concealed firearms on school property is on its way to the Ohio Senate after winning House approval Wednesday.
The Republican-dominated House voted 63-29 to pass the measure, saying it would help promote student safety.
The bill allows a school board to pick an employee who would be trained to pack heat in case of an active shooter situation such as those in at Columbus High School in Colorado and in Newtown, Conn.
The bill would require Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office to develop a training model for school employees who are allowed to carry concealed weapons. School boards who decide to let certain employees carry guns would have to consult with local police to develop safety protocols.
The measure would shield the names of gun-carrying employees and block protocols for carrying concealed weapons from being part of collective bargaining negotiations.
State law limits the people who can have a deadly weapon in a school safety zone to security guards, on-duty officers and others whom a district’s board has given permission. The bill would allow off-duty officers to also carry weapons.