House committee to discuss safe schools act for second time, vote postponed

UPDATE 3/26: The vote has been postponed, according to Rep. Ross.

ORIGINAL STORY: A bill that would require school districts to post a notice if an employee is authorized to use deadly force is expected to be discussed for a second time in a House of Representatives committee meeting Monday afternoon.

The General Law Committee is expected to discuss HB 2232 during its meeting at noon Monday.

The bill comes amid the national debate over arming teachers. However, that plan is already in effect in many Missouri school districts thanks to a 2014 law that allows local school districts to grant concealed carry weapons privileges to teachers.

Sponsored by Rep. Robert Ross, R-District 142, HB 2232 essentially modifies the current law to add language that “requires any school district authorizing an employee to carry a concealed firearm to post a notice stating that ‘Under Missouri law, this school and its staff are authorized to meet threats to student safety with deadly force if necessary.'”

The bill also lays out guidelines for hiring new teachers and employees and says that schools must contact the previous employer and ask about policy violations.

Some of the Columbia Public School students who helped organize the Columbia March For Our Lives rally said they are against arming teachers and that many of their teachers feel the same way.

The students said arming teachers normalizes school shootings instead of preventing them from happening.