Ohio’s Governor Expected To Sign Bill To Arm Teachers In Schools

Ohio’s Governor, Mike DeWine, is expected to sign a bill approved by the state’s lawmakers that would permit school teachers and other public school employees to carry a firearm as quickly as the Fall semester.

The Armed School Security Staff bill, HB 99, would offer schools an additional option to provide more robust security for school children following a recent uptick in school shootings.

“Last week, I called on the General Assembly to pass a bill that would allow local school districts, if they so choose, to designate armed staff for school security and safety,” DeWine said in a statement on Thursday.


“The bill is meant to override a state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, which interpreted current Ohio law to require that armed teachers would need the same training as police, amounting to hundreds of hours,” the Associated Press reported. “That would put the practice out of reach of almost all districts because of the time and expense.”