Both chambers of Iowa’s legislature have passed a bill that would allow teachers and other school employees to apply for permits to carry guns on school property.
The Iowa House voted 62-36 Monday on the legislation, sending it to Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) to sign. The Iowa Senate passed the legislation last week. Republicans say the legislation is in response to the Perry Middle and High School shooting, which left one sixth grade student and the school’s principal dead.
“Time and math do not lie,” said Republican state Rep. Phil Thompson, the bill’s floor manager. “The first 30 seconds in these scenarios are extremely critical. This bill does set a high standard for districts and staff that want to participate in this and go the extra mile to protect our kids.”
Only one House Republican did not sign on to the legislation. Republican state Rep. Matthew Rinker joined Democrats who opposed the law. Democrats say it makes schools less safe, and more likely for accidents to happen.
“It does nothing to protect children who might be the victim of crossfires, of accidents, of a gun not being properly stored or a curious student finding a gun and accidentally injuring other children,” Democratic state Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell said.
According to a 2023 report from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, in the last five years, there have been 100 incidents of guns “being mishandled, left in reach of children or accidentally discharged at schools.”
The legislation applies to K-12 public and private schools, community colleges, and public and private colleges and universities. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll indicates 60% of Iowans support the legislation.
In order to obtain a permit to carry a gun under Iowa’s legislation, those interested would need to complete a one-time, in-person legal training, in which they would learn qualified immunity, emergency medical training, and communication training. They would also need to undergo quarterly firearm training as well as an annual “live scenario” training.
Identities of school staff who carry would be kept confidential and exempt from Iowa’s public records law. Some warn that this could leave families of students who are victims of shootings with no way to receive compensation or find accountability.
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“When you have no liability for teachers in the school district, all children will be at risk,” Wessel-Kroeschell said. “All families will have nowhere to go when their children are harmed or seriously injured.”
The legislation would also require large school districts with 8,000 or more students to hire school resource officers in high schools.
