nixon vetoes guns in schools bill

Governor Nixon vetoed a bill Monday that would have allowed faculty to carry concealed guns in public schools.

Under the legislation, districts would have been allowed to designate teachers or administrators as “school protection officers.” The faculty members would have been required to go through special training before they could carry the weapons in school.

With numerous school shootings in past years, supporters argued the legislation would help teachers protect their students from armed intruders.

Opponents worried children could gain access to a teacher’s weapon, arming a student who otherwise might have not had access to a gun. Others questioned whether teachers would have sufficient training to really protect students.