A bill being introduced Tuesday in Alabama by State Rep. Will Ainsworth will allow trained, certified teachers to carry weapons on school campuses, legislation Alabama Sen. Doug Jones calls "the dumbest idea I've ever heard," according to a report in Alabama News 5.
"I think it's crazy. You don't need 40–50 guns in there, and it's a cost issue," the Democrat told reporters Monday during his visit to Mobile.
"You're going to have to train those teachers," he added. "You don't need to arm America in order to stop this, you just need to be smart about it."
Ainsworth, a Republican, filed the bill one day after a gunman opened fire at a high school in Florida, killing 17.
"We've got to make sure that when these evil people get in our schools that our kids have a fighting chance," said Ainsworth, who is running for lieutenant governor. "The only way we can do that is to have people armed in the schools to fight back."
Teachers and administrators would need 40 hours of training through the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission and would have to undergo a mental health evaluation before being allowed to carry guns.
The state would pay for the training, but not for the weapons, according to AL.com.
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