A new bill introduced in the Idaho legislature Tuesday would allow people with an enhanced gun permit to carry a handgun in public schools without first telling administrators.
State Rep. Chad Christensen (R) told the Idaho State Journal he introduced the bill because he doesn’t want schools “to be a soft target.”
The bill would give a person who acquires an enhanced concealed carry permit the ability to carry a handgun in a public school and prohibit schools from retaliating against a teacher or employee for carrying a concealed gun. It would also protect schools from any civil liability in such cases.
Those lawfully carrying a concealed gun would also not be forced to disclose it to any school administrators or officials except law enforcement when asked.
“I want children to be safe,” Christensen told the local news outlet, adding that “a lot of school districts in my area are already carrying firearms in school.”
Christensen said the bill would help prevent potential school shooters.
To obtain an enhanced concealed carry permit, an individual must complete a daylong training course.
Currently, local school boards in Idaho can choose whether or not to allow teachers or other individuals to carry guns in schools. The Idaho Statesman reports that only a few schools currently allow guns carried by non-law enforcement personnel.
Christensen’s bill would make the new permit legal statewide.
“I believe local control is important when it doesn’t violate the Constitution,” he said.
State Rep. John Gannon (D) said he opposed the bill due to the part that allows people to carry a gun without telling the school.
“A school principal who is charged with the supervision of an elementary school cannot ask someone if they have a gun, even if there has been an incident,” he said.
Proposals allowing teachers to carry guns in school gained national attention after a string of mass shootings over the past few years, particularly picking up momentum following the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where 17 people died.