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IN school safety bill moves forward without arming teachers with guns

The most controversial portions of school safety legislation requiring armed personnel in Indiana public schools have been removed from the bill and sent to a summer study committee. 

The Senate version of the bill encouraged, but did not require, schools to hire school resource officers – trained law enforcement with extra training to work in a school environment.  A House committee added a mandate for all schools to employ protection officers, a staff member – such as teachers and principals – who would carry a gun.

A later change allowed schools to opt-out of the mandate.  The full House Thursday voted to amend the bill, sending the mandate and the school protection officer language to a study committee.

Representative Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) says the legislature wants to improve school safety.

“But we don’t want to hurt someone with an unintended consequence so the right thing to do is study it thoroughly, send it to a committee with people who have expertise and let’s do the right thing.”

The amendment passed unanimously.  The bill will be up for passage in the House on Monday.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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