Local School Officials React to House Bill 35: Administrators Allowed to Carry Guns at School

PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Georgia lawmakers are wasting no time filing a bill that would allow administrators to carry guns on school grounds. 

Representatives Bubber Epps and Willie Talton believe this would help address school safety and they are fully supporting the change in the law.

“Education is not a one size fits all,” says Bibb County Board of Education Member, Jason Downey.

One reason why Downey supports House Bill 35 is because it’s not a mandate. If it passes, it would allow each board of education to choose one or more administrators to carry a gun on school grounds. The school system would foot the bill to have each person trained properly.

“If it passes it shows me that there’s some will of the people for this to go forward, and whether or not it’s a good fit for bibb county, that remains to be seen,” says Downey.

The bill was filed by a representative from north Georgia, and sponsored by middle Georgia Representatives Bubber Epps and Willie Talton. Talton supported it because it requires the carrier to know how to handle a weapon.

“That these people are properly trained, not just anyone that goes to the probate court and get a gun permit, nothing like that. They have to know exactly when and how to use a weapon,” Talton told 41NBC over the phone.

The superintendent of Houston County Schools, Dr. Robin Hines doesn’t believe guns belong in the hands of educators. Hines suggests that legislatures look for other ways to address school safety, like putting trained officers in every school in the state.

“We won’t do it for safety about the potential negative outcomes that could happen of putting loaded firearms in the schools,” says Hines.

Representative Bubber Epps says this bill is just a starting point for addressing safety in schools. The bill has to pass through committee before the entire house will vote on the legislation.