Republican Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones proposed Wednesday a plan to financially incentivize teachers to carry guns at school, The Associated Press reported.
Jones unveiled the plan at Austin Road Elementary School, stating that the initiative, which includes a $10,000 annual stipend for participating teachers, aims to enhance school safety and prevent shootings, according to AP.
“We feel like this is the best way to prepare faculty, but also prepare law enforcement and the system however we can,” he said, per the outlet.
Jones’ proposal also includes provisions for stricter school safety standards and additional funding for certified school resource officers, according to AP. The plan would require teachers and other non-police school staff members to undergo firearms training to be eligible for the stipend, the outlet noted.
Georgia’s lieutenant governor says he wants to pay teachers $10,000 a year to carry guns in schools. https://t.co/L81jDCYgnS
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 25, 2023
GOP state Sen. Max Burns voiced his support for the measure, highlighting that the legislation would not mandate teachers to carry firearms, AP reported.
“These are local decisions by a local school board to tailor programs that fit the unique situations in your school system,” he said, per the outlet.
Critics, such as the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), have expressed opposition to the idea, asserting that only certified officers should carry firearms in schools, AP noted. (RELATED: Teachers Union Conference Encouraged Educators To Lobby For Gun Control)
“Teachers should not be armed in the classroom,” GAE President Lisa Morgan said, according to the outlet. “We are not there to serve as law enforcement and introducing more firearms into the school is not a way to solve the problem of violence in our schools.”