Governor-elect Mike Pence says his response to the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting will include a review of Indiana school safety.
Pence says his budget proposal to the General Assembly will include an appropriation for a comprehensive evaluation of school security measures. He says Indiana is already the only state in the nation that requires each school to have a trained and certified school safety specialist on-site.
Pence would not comment on specific proposals for improving school safety, saying only that his administration will thoroughly review any options. And the governor-elect says reaction to the Newtown shooting should be focused on restricting access to schools, not to guns.
“I support the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and as governor I’ll defend that right.”
Pence pointed to several parts of Indiana law that already restrict criminals and the untreated mentally ill from owning or possessing guns. He says this is not about access to guns, it’s about access to schools and making sure children in school are secure.
The National Rifle Association gave Pence an A grade for his pro-gun rights policies and votes while a congressman.
