A bill continues to move through the Iowa Legislature looking at arming teachers inside public school buildings. 

House District 47 Representative Carter Nordman (R-Panora) says the legislation is taking what is already currently law that allows school districts to authorize teachers and staff to carry a gun in a school building and adds more extensive training, including qualified immunity, emergency medical, live firearm, live scenario, an annual background check, among others. He argues that the opposition of having more guns in schools creates more problems, as this bill has common sense to improve response times for shooting situations.

Nordman points out the bill isn’t a requirement for schools to have armed teachers.

“Importantly, this bill is 100 percent voluntary for schools. It’s 100 percent voluntary for teachers (and) 100 percent voluntary for staff. Nobody is forcing anybody to carry a firearm in schools. And I think that has been a misnotion out there that this is some kind of mandate. It is not, it is 100 percent up to the schools.”      

Jefferson Police Chief Mark Clouse agrees that having armed school staff would help reduce the time in shooting situations, where it takes law enforcement a few minutes to respond.  

“So I think there’s some value in maybe some armed subjects in the school. I think it needs to be very stringent on the training and qualifications, and those types of things. I think the next hurdle maybe, possibly for smaller school districts such as ours, is will people be willing to stand up and accept that.”

Nordman adds that if a teacher is acting within the duty of the new special professional permit to carry a firearm, then that individual can be immune from the school district’s insurance coverage.