Indiana must focus on school safety and making sure all schools maintain safety standards, rather than changing state gun laws, said Gov. Eric Holcomb, responding to questions about the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school.
“The schools, the most local governing bodies, cannot let their guard down and we won’t let them down when it comes to the funding to help them do their job,” said the governor, after a press conference announcing an economic investment by Eli Lilly, Wednesday.
Holcomb said that during his administration the state legislature has made sure schools across the state have received more than $100 million for safety.
“We have the means and we have the financial wherewithal to make sure that our schools maintain their integrity. That means one port of entry. That’s why we make sure they have wands if needed,” he said. Holcomb added that schools must submit safety plans, and some are doing so now.
“This legislature has been very accommodating in making sure that we have the funds, those grant dollars, to make sure that those plans are not just put into place, but enforced,” said Holcomb. He said that schools need to maintain their integrity. “You might call it hardening them when children are in the classrooms.”
But, when asked if any gun laws should be changed, Holcomb said he believed further restrictions would violate the U.S. Constitution.
“We’re not going to, I believe, in the State of Indiana, take steps to restrict individuals who lawfully can purchase a gun, for sport or defense for themselves,” he said. But, Holcomb said there’s room for discussion in dealing with people who should not own a gun, or who may have violent mental health issues.
He also said there’s room for talking, in the legislature, about strengthening “red flag” laws.
He also asked all Hoosiers to pray for the people who are dealing with the loss in Texas, the only action which can happen immediately and doesn’t require a vote from the General Assembly.
4 comments
We need to stop listening to the hoplophobes and start training/arming school staff who wish to participate. Even the best building security measures fail, as was the case in Texas.
Did Dopey Prince Eric the Chinless Wonder of Hoosierville say these thing from Davos at the World Economic Forum? At this point in time every school and every local police department and Sheriff should have a plan in place to respond to any likely or even unlikely attack on ta school. In Texas the door used by the killer was UNLOCKED!!!!! Far4eley is correct about arming willing teachers and administrators. If you trust those people to not indoctrinate your kids why not trust them, after proper vetting, to put themselves in harms way to protect themselves and your kids? I know for a fact there are a lot of retirees with military or police training who for a small sum would be willing to pull a shift as an armed guards at your local school. We can spend $40-Billion to Ukraine yet can’t spend $48-on local businesses who are hurting. How about spending those sums on local school security. No Dopey King Xo the Idiot of Brandonville is threatening to take back lunch money if we don’t allow boys in girls facilities in the school building. Some schools still have oodles of Covid funds in their bank accounts. What gives???
Why would you do anything at all about ” red flag” laws? Just the very nature of them is unconstitutional. Just on someone’s say so the police will go to that location and illegally confiscate any and all firearms on the premises. The person involved has no say so or any way to defend themselves in this instance.
[…] told 95.3 MNC that schools cannot let their guard down, and that Indiana legislature will not let them down when […]