TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A bill allowing designated employees to carry guns on school grounds has cleared a Florida House committee despite opposition.
Supporters say the bill would give schools a fighting chance if they were ever targeted for attacks.
Opponents counter that arming teachers or other school staff is the wrong response to last year's massacre at an elementary school in Connecticut.
The bill (HB 1097) was advanced by the House Judiciary Committee on an 11-7 vote Tuesday. The bill would allow principals to designate certain school employees to carry guns at school. Those employees would receive the same training as armed security guards.
The bill's opponents include groups representing Florida school boards and school administrators.
