Overview:
In a joint announcement last week, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, along with Senators Max Burns and Clint Dixon, revealed their legislative priority for 2024 to allow teachers to carry firearms on campus.
ATLANTA – In a joint announcement last week, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, along with Senators Max Burns and Clint Dixon, revealed their legislative priority for 2024 to allow teachers to carry firearms on campus.
“Protecting the most vulnerable, including all of Georgia’s children, is one of our most critical responsibilities as public servants,” emphasized Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “The forthcoming legislation, coupled with state funding, will ensure that our school systems and educators receive the necessary resources and training to bolster safety throughout Georgia. The program provides systems and individuals with the option to participate in training, certification, and stipends, and we are hopeful that the General Assembly will support these efforts to build on recent school safety reforms.”
Georgia has some of the weakest gun laws in the country. The legislature passed a law requiring colleges and universities to allow guns on campus and recently repealed its last foundational policy by passing permitless carry legislation.
Senator Burns echoed his sentiment of keeping students safe, emphasizing, “The safety of our schoolchildren and their learning environments remains our foremost duty. This legislation introduces another tool to further enhance school safety. By utilizing existing, volunteer employees, we can complement the current deployment of School Resource Officers (SROs) and fortify the safety of our schools. I extend my gratitude to Lieutenant Governor Jones and Chairman Dixon for their leadership and backing of this initiative.”
Senator Dixon added, “Protecting Georgia’s students and educational institutions has been and continues to be a top priority. I take pride in the investments and reforms we’ve made in enhancing school security in recent years. Now, I am excited to be part of this endeavor to further reinforce school safety. With this legislation, we will ensure that our teachers are better prepared to address security threats, our schools are even more ready for emergency situations, and we will expand grant programs to enable schools to hire additional security personnel. Upholding our principles, this legislation will preserve local decision-making and avoid imposing unfunded mandates. I eagerly anticipate working diligently to pass this legislation, ensuring our students remain safe in school and can concentrate on their education.”
The forthcoming legislation, slated for introduction during the 2024 Legislative Session, will build upon the safety reforms previously enacted by the General Assembly. These reforms encompass safety training for teachers, the continued development of school safety plans, and the authority of local school systems to independently determine whether teachers should be allowed to carry firearms for safety purposes on campus.
This proposed program will be an opt-in measure for teachers and school systems.