Panel OKs Bill to Allow Guns in Florida Schools

The debate whether safety is worth the risk of having more guns on school campuses took center stage in a Florida House committee, which approved a bill Wednesday that would allow trained officials to carry weapons in schools, reports the Associated Press .

This issue has been argued nationwide since school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, Virginia Tech University, Columbine High School in Colorado and others. One side believes armed officials are better equipped to handle an emergency situation. The other argues that more guns in schools only increase the odds of something happening.

The bill (HB 753) approved 8-4 by House Justice Appropriations committee is sponsored by Greg Steube, a Republican from Sarasota. It gives schools the option to appoint former or current law enforcement officers and former or current military officers with state-legislated training to carry firearms on campus.

They would be required to go through 40 hours of school-safety training and eight hours of active-shooter training each year. They also would need four hours of firearm qualification annually.