Lt. Governor David Dewhurst says he wants the state to provide money to better train concealed handgun carriers at schools.
State law generally prohibits weapons on campuses but Dewhurst says districts can individually authorize employees with concealed gun permits to bring their firearms to school. Dewhurst, however, told KERA Thursday the training that goes with the permit isn’t thorough enough for a school environment.
“I’m considering the state putting up funding for extra training because the training involved with the concealed handgun law license is not sufficient in my judgment to have that person trained for an event involving an active shooter,” said Dewhurst.
Dewhurst weighed in on the issue as Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams said allowing trained school employees to carry concealed weapons would better protect children.
The growing debate at the Texas legislature follows the shooting deaths of students and staff at a Connecticut elementary and a desire to better ensure safety on Texas campuses.
