Law enforcement groups object to guns-in-schools proposal

The Idaho Sheriff’s Association and Idaho Chiefs of Police Association are objecting to proposals to amend the state’s concealed carry laws.

Sponsored by Ammon Representative Chad Christensen, House Bill 203 would allow concealed weapons on school property. It would apply to people who hold a valid enhanced concealed carry permit. It would not require any permission from the school or school board and protect school employees from any disciplinary action or having possession of a firearm.

The law enforcement groups, however, call the bill “bad for Idaho and bad for Idaho children.”

In a letter to the House State Affairs Committee, Twin Falls Police Chief Craig Kingsbury and Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger said school boards have responsibility to provide reasonable school safety policies, including who should carry a firearm on school grounds. In addition, the lawmen said if officers are called to a gun incident at a school, extra people carrying guns would only make a confusing situation worse.

“We believe there is great potential for confrontations under such conditions that could have tragic consequences,” said the letter. “We’ve heard the argument that schools are in a “free fire zone” because guns aren’t allowed so
only criminals will bring guns to schools. It is more likely, in our opinion, that firearms in schools will lead to an accidental shooting rather than an increase in student safety.”

They also said local school officials should know which of its employees are carrying a deadly weapon around students.

The police and sheriff associations also quoted a 2nd Amendment Court Case addressed by Justice Antonin Scalia. According to the associations, Scalia said, “the Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.”

The bill, which now has 12 co-sponsors, was approved for introduction last week.