ABC 12 News by Ana Ceballos
December 11, 2019
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (News Service of Florida) — Republican lawmakers who pushed to allow teachers to carry guns in schools say they do not need to know how many Florida teachers are armed and participating in the so-called guardian program.
After weeks of emotional debate in the state Capitol this spring, the Republican-dominated Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a bill that allowed teachers to get voluntary training and be armed to act as a first line of defense against school shootings.
Educators who solely performed classroom duties were initially excluded from the guardian program, which was created in response to the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County.
Republican lawmakers who backed expanding the program said this week they do not need to know the statewide number of classroom teachers who have signed up to carry weapons.
