Bill would allow guns in school

With House lawmakers already considering a proposal that could arm school administrators, a similar bill filed Friday in the state Senate would allow public elementary school employees to carry guns on campus.

Sen. Ronald B. Ramsey Sr., a Decatur Democrat who is also the chief legal officer of DeKalb County schools, would empower local school boards to decide whether to designate a “para-protection” officer at an elementary school.

Middle and high schools are not named in Senate Bill 138, which Ramsey has dubbed the “Elementary School Protection Act.” It comes in the wake of the December shootings at a Connecticut elementary school that left more than 20 people dead.

SB 138 would require employees to have at least five years of law enforcement experience and completed a state peace officer training course before being legally allowed to arm themselves. They would be allowed to carry weapons, including taser devices, at school, at a school function or on a school bus.

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