Sapulpa Legislator Revives Measure To Arm School Teachers

There are new developments in the Oklahoma legislature to allow state teachers to carry guns in schools. It's a controversial measure that's already been shut down once, but a local lawmaker isn't giving up.

Representative Mark McCullough of Sapulpa recently attached a new amendment to a separate bill after his original teacher-carry bill died.

That bill passed the House easily Thursday, and is now headed to the Senate.

It's called Senate Bill 408, and it would allow school districts to decide whether to allow their employees to carry concealed weapons.

12/17/2012 Related Story: Sapulpa Lawmaker To Propose Legislation Allowing Teachers, Principals To Carry Guns

If a district approves it, anyone who signs up would have to go through a special training academy.

Any employee who passes that training would be certified as a peace officer statewide and be allowed to carry a concealed weapon in any Oklahoma school district that allows it.

If this bill becomes law, the academies would be run by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, called CLEET.

It's not clear if the bill will have enough support in the Senate to move it to the Governor's desk.

A similar measure was introduced in 2008 by retired state trooper and then State Representative Glen Bud Smithson. It failed.

Keep checking back for updates, and News On 6 viewers can watch Dave Davis's story in the News On 6 noon newscast.