The West Virginia legislative session is more than halfway over and lawmakers have not been taking any action to address gun violence in our state. In fact, they are considering bills that would put more guns in schools by allowing teachers, administrators, and support staff in K-12 schools to carry concealed firearms with a maximum of 24 hours of training.
Send a message: Tell key West Virginia lawmakers to oppose these bills and take meaningful action to address gun violence >>
Dear Lawmaker,
I'm urging you to oppose HB 4299—dangerous legislation that would introduce more guns into our schools by allowing teachers, administrators, and support staff in K-12 schools to carry concealed firearms with a maximum of 24 hours of training.
This bill takes local control away from our schools, forcing them to allow staff to carry guns in school as long as the applicants meet requirements of the program even if the school doesn't wish to. It also gives parents no right to know who is carrying in their child's school.
Arming teachers is not a solution to gun violence—it's a short-sighted move that will only endanger our students and our law enforcement officers more. An armed teacher is much more likely to impede responding law enforcement than to be an effective solution to an active shooter in a school.
I'm urging you to focus on protecting your constituents by prioritizing real solutions that would help prevent these senseless tragedies—like investing in school-based mental health professionals and educating parents about the importance of secure firearm storage. Thank you.