The chair of Kentucky’s House Subcommittee on School Safety says the panel does not support arming teachers, despite hearing testimony last week in support of the option.
House Speaker Greg Stumbo created the special subcommittee to address school safety following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Since then, many communities have begun discussing ways to improve school safety. The subcommittee previously heard from educators, law enforcement and Kentucky Center for School Safety officials. Last week the panel heard from more educators and a retired general who supports arming teachers, which is a move backed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, according to an article in the Courier-Journal. Chairman Richard Henderson says while the panel does not support arming teachers, he does believe it’s important to listen to all options. “There’s not an agenda. There’s no one actually pushing that. So it was preferences of the chairman to hear all ideas, even those that we are adamantly opposed to.” Henderson says the panel will meet this Wednesday to hear how school infrastructure could be improved. “We’ve determined we need to talk about school construction and facilities. So we’re going to bring some people in from the state that have infinite knowledge about buildings and construction and the rules and regulations," he said. Henderson says he expects several bills pertaining to school safety to be filed once the General Assembly is back in session on Feb. 5 and he has already filed legislation that would make the House Subcommittee on School Safety permanent.
