Kentucky Senators Approve Bill To Let Armed Guardians in Schools

(RepublicanPress.org) – According to CNN, there were already 13 school shootings in the United States as of February 21, exactly in line with the same timeframe in 2022 and 2023. Sadly, these types of horrific incidents have been on the rise and have increased by 355.56% over the past 15 years. Recently, Kentucky made a move in an effort to keep kids safer in schools.

On March 5, Newsmax reported that Kentucky’s Senate passed a bill allowing school districts to hire armed guardians at the state’s schools. These individuals would consist of people like retired police officers and military veterans who have training and experience with weapons. The legislation was passed by a vote of 28 to 10 and is now on its way to the House.

According to the Kentucky Lantern, state Senator Max Wise (R-16th District) filed Senate Bill 2 in February to boost safety measures at schools statewide. The measure will establish the “Kentucky Guardian” program. Those hired to join the group would have to meet a set of requirements, including a background check and possess a concealed carry license. Guardians would also have to be certified by the Kentucky Center for School Safety and would have to undergo training before being stationed at any school.

The bill has not been without its controversy. Kentucky state Senator Reginald Thomas (D-13th District) argued Wise’s bill is not the answer to the real issues causing gun violence in the first place. The lawmaker reflected on how legislators, rather than “deal[ing] with the gun problem” in Kentucky and America, they’re adding more guns to the school grounds. Other senators who voted against the measure shared concerns about the level of training for guardian positions. Republican Senator Whitney Westerfield also thought the bill was the wrong move, stating she would have rather allocated money to hire more highly-trained school resource officers instead.

This move and others in the state of Kentucky were in response to the 2018 shooting at Marshall County High School, where two kids were murdered and more than 12 others were injured.