A new bill signed by Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine authorizes teachers, principals and other staff members of the state’s school district to carry firearms into classrooms once they’ve completed 24 hours of training.
The new legislation drastically reduces the amount of training required for someone to be allowed to have a firearm in a school.
Previous legislation required about 700 hours of training. Now those who wish to be armed on school grounds must only complete four “scenario-based” training hours along with a maximum 20 hours of training in first-aid, reunification education and the history of school shootings.
“In life we make choices, and we don't always know what the outcome is going to be,” DeWine said when signing the law. “What this Legislature has done, what I've done by signing it, is giving schools an option based on their particular circumstances to make the best decision they can make with the best information they have. That's all any decision-maker can do.”
The law does give each individual school district the power to decide whether they will allow staff to carry firearms.
DeWine signed the law on Monday, the same day that the state’s new constitutional carry legislation took effect. That law says state residents are now allowed to carry concealed weapons without having to pass a background check or complete any training whatsoever.
The only requirement is that the carrier be 21 or older and be legally allowed to own a gun.
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