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Students in some of Nebraska's smallest school districts could soon be protected by armed staff, thanks to one of over 100 bills passed by the state legislature last week.
The provision that would allow such staff to carry firearms in schools and at school-related events originally included all districts across the Cornhusker State, but now applies only to those with under 5,000 residents after opposition from some areas of the state led lawmakers to compromise.
"It doesn't apply to all the schools. This was designed for the rural schools where they didn't have a resource officer or law enforcement wasn't readily available," state Sen. Tom Brewer, who introduced the measure, said, according to a local report.
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State Sen. Tom Brewer said the bill to arm staff members or to enable districts to employ other armed security aims to help rural districts. (iStock)
The measure would enable schools to either hire security or elect a specific member of the school to carry a weapon.
"It can be anyone from the superintendent to the janitor," Brewer continued, according to the report. Regardless of the choice, those who are armed must undergo training.
Some fear that, without the imminent presence of someone capable of confronting a school shooter in the event of an emergency, law enforcement could otherwise be 15 minutes – or further – away from these rural districts.
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Nebraska lawmakers passed over 100 bills in the last week of legislative session, according to local reports. Legislative Bill 1329 was among them.
It's among several GOP-led states' efforts to protect or expand gun rights or firearm safety instruction to protect students and staff, including two measures in Tennessee, one in Iowa and another in New Hampshire.
Despite opposition from some who speculate the expansion of gun rights and access could hinder rather than help safety efforts, these measures have charged ahead.
In Omaha, Superintendent Matthew Ray said he could understand why Nebraska's measure could apply to less populated school districts with fewer resources, but failed to see its need in his own district.
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Nebraska state Sen. Tom Brewer's proposal is among several GOP-led initiatives to expand firearm protections in public schools. (Yuliia Ovsyannikova / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, at least 32 states allow teachers or school staff to be armed at school, including several states neighboring Nebraska.
Brewer's proposed measure was passed as part of Legislative Bill 1329, an education package that passed 40-0 on the next-to-last day of the legislative session last week.
It now awaits Republican Gov. Jim Pillen's signature.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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