In light of ever-increasing school shootings, a new bill is making its way through the Missouri legislature that wants to help keep kids safe. House Bill 1108 calls for bullet-resistant doors and windows to be installed in schools, and says that school resource officers will not be prohibited from carrying a firearm at school.
State Representative Justin Hicks, a Republican from Lake St. Louis, tells KMOX that he introduced the bill because he wants to keep kids safe, but not infringe on Second Amendment rights.
"That just kind of led me down this road of, why not install bullet resistant glass on door entryways and on the first floor windows in schools?" Hicks said. "This way we are slowing intruders coming into the building down to allow law enforcement to get there and actually do their job. So it would actually reduce the amount of casualties if not prevent all of them."
Hicks said that school districts in his area are supportive of his legislation, and that many other legislators are in support of finding extra money to invest in the project.
As for the provision that allows school resource officers to have guns, Hicks said that it is "hardening the target" of schools.
"We're saying that we're providing security for schools, whether that's bullet-resistant glass, resource officers, to ensure that students are safe within the school," he said.
Hear more about Hicks' plan to arm resource officers and install bullet-resistant windows and doors in schools:
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