Guns in schools bill dies in North Dakota Senate

Lawmakers in the North Dakota Senate shot down a bill Tuesday that would have allowed trained employees to carry concealed guns on school property.

According to the Associated Press, the Senate voted against the measure, Senate Bill 1310, on a 27-18 vote. The legislation would have allowed up to 10 schools to opt-in to the guns-in-schools “pilot program,” so long as approval was given from the school boards.

While the House overwhelmingly passed the bill on a 73-19 vote, the Senate is comprised of many former educators who had voiced strong opposition to the measure.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, a former high school teacher himself, noted many teachers, administrators and education groups never wanted the bill.

“We have a bill nobody wants and they don’t plan on using it,” Wardner said

The legislation had been intended to help rural schools better protect themselves, as it often takes law enforcement a good amount of time to respond to emergencies in such rural areas, as noted by Republican Sen. Jane Myrdal, a supporter of the bill.

“Why on Earth are we leaving this wide open and advertising them as a soft target?” Myrdal asked.

The bill would have required school employees to complete 80 hours of training before they would have been allowed to carry concealed firearms on school property.

Latest Reviews

revolver barrel loading graphic

Loading