Thursday, March 7, 2013

Schools could decide to let some employees carry concealed weapons if a bill in the Kansas Legislature passes.

The bill allows public schools and state universities to still restrict who can carry weapons into their buildings. Some Wichita parents think it's an idea at least worth studying.

"It's probably a good idea, but they should be very well trained," said John Day, a grandfather of Wichita school children.

Day said if school officials decide to designate employees to carry concealed guns, those employees should undergo extensive training.

"I think that training should be almost military level of how to use and how to protect and how to be safe with a firearm," he said.

A bill passed this week by the Kansas House Federal and State Affairs Committee would let public schools and universities decide whether to allow some employees to carry concealed weapons.

"It would be a good thing, in my opinion," said Luzon Dickinson, a Wichita parent. "You never know when somebody's liable to go into a school and do something very foolish and very crazy. We need to make sure that our children are definitely protected."

Other provisions in the bill would require the state, cities and counties to allow concealed carry permits to take guns into their buildings if those buildings are not equipped with security checkpoints.

Sumner County Sheriff Darren Chambers said he is not against concealed carry, but he thinks deciding whether to allow weapons into public buildings should be a local decision.

"Even if they pass a law that says, 'Hey, they should be able to carry anywhere they want,' I think there's still some times, some places that it's inappropriate and I think that the person in charge of security for that building should be able to be the one to assess it," Chambers said.