New Bill Aims to Arm Maine School Employees With Firearms

It's no secret that acts of violence being committed in our Nation's schools has been on the rise for the last couple of decades. And now, some Maine legislators are looking for ways to help prevent any such attack from being carried out in the Pine Tree State.

When it comes to guns, many citizens and lawmakers frequently find themselves at a policy crossroads. With one side indicating they want fewer guns to improve safety, and the other side saying that more law-abiding armed citizens would help curb the chaos.

According to WGME 13, a new bill in the Maine legislature is seeking to put guns in the hands of some Maine school teachers.

Of the many bills involving school safety that are going to have public hearings in Augusta, one of the bills would allow school employees who complete a training and certification program, and who want to take part, to carry a firearm on school property.

This particular bill, sponsored by a Republican lawmaker, Steven Foster of Dexter, is called 'An Act to Allow Certain School Employees Carrying Firearms', and is currently up for public debate.

WGME reports that Foster began considering this bill following the horrific tragedy that happened at Parkland High School back in 2018. Foster goes on to mention how in that tragedy, educators literally gave their lives to protect their students.

The news station reports that supporters of the bill say that they believe this could be especially beneficial for more rural communities in Maine where police response time is much longer than in the larger cities and where a school resource officer is unavailable.