The National Rifle Association said Friday it wants armed police officers in every school, raising costs questions from Republican legislators who normally are their natural allies but picking up support of a key Democrat.
“We care about our money, so we protect our banks with armed guards,” said NRA President Wayne LaPierre at a press conference. Ditto, he said for airports, office buildings, power plants, court houses and sports stadiums.
“Yet when it comes to the most beloved, innocent and vulnerable members of the American family, our children, we as a society leave them utterly defenseless, and the monsters and predators of this world know it and exploit it,” he said. “That must change now.”
LaPierre is specifically suggesting Congress come up with the necessary cash, though he had no dollar figure. But he brushed aside GOP budget-balancing concerns, saying the government has a lot of money to spend on things like foreign aid.
Arizona House Minority Leader Chad Campbell said more federal money would help. But the Phoenix Democrat said much of what LaPierre wants could be accomplished — and sooner — if the Legislature would restore the money it cut from a program to fund armed school safety officers.
Campbell said in the 2008-09 school year the state provided more than $14.6 million in grants to schools. Now the figure is $7.8 million. And that money exists only because it is guaranteed under a 2000 voter-approved sales tax hike, money the Legislature cannot touch.
Some school districts use their own dollars to fund officers.
Campbell acknowledged that amount of money would only begin to touch the cost of putting a police officer — or even a trained, armed security person — in each of the state’s nearly 2,000 school buildings. But Campbell, like La Pierre, said he believes there is money to be had.
“Why don’t we take the $50 million for private prisons?” he suggested.
Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, blanched at the idea of having the state absorb the cost.
“That would be a phenomenal expense and it would detract from other educational expenditures,” he said. “And I don’t think it’s necessary.”
House Speaker Andy Tobin said he does not see having an armed police officer or security guard in a school as providing protection for all the students.
“What about kids who get on a bus to go to the zoo?” he asked. “Are you going to send a cop with them?”
But LaPierre, in his statement to the press, made it clear he thinks an officer in a school is better than none at all.
“Would you rather have your 911 call bring a good guy with a gun from a mile away or a minute away?” he said.
Tobin, a Republican from Paulden, said it’s not just the state that cut money. He cited a 2009 decision by the Obama administration to not renew programs that provided $200 million for schools for training, security equipment and police.
Campbell agrees with Tobin on that point and said the federal government has a role. But he said the state cannot ignore its obligation to provide safe schools.
“I’m so tired of arguments from the Right that we don’t have money for programs like this when they hand out corporate welfare and special interest handouts every single day down there,” he said. “We can fund protecting our kids.”
Tucsonan Todd Rathner, a member of the NRA board, said the Legislature needs to be part of any solution for school security.
“These are our kids,” he said. “So everybody has a role.”
Rathner said the NRA will take the issue to the Republican-controlled Legislature which convenes next month.
“I know that sometimes there is a reluctance on the part of our Republican friends to appropriate money for certain things because they believe in smaller government,” he said.
“But there are certain roles for government,” Rathner continued. “And certainly if we’re going to have public schools then they ought to be protected.”
Tobin, however, said he’s not convinced that schools need more money from the state.
He said that lawmakers have started to restore some of the cuts made when the state faced a $3 billion deficit. And Tobin said schools were given flexibility to use what money they got for whatever they needed.
Andrew Morrill, president of the Arizona Education Association, agreed with Tobin that decisions on what security is appropriate in each school — and how much to spend — should be left to local boards. But he said that the cutbacks in state aid mean that things like funding armed officers would come at the expense of dollars for classroom expenses.
Morrill also said the NRA plan is far preferable to some proposals to arm individual teachers, which he called “a flat-out bad idea.”
Rathner said a big boost in government funding for police officers may be needed only for a short time. He said the NRA envisions a program where his organization trains people, including volunteers, to provide armed protection.
Matthew Benson, press aide to Gov. Jan Brewer, said in a prepared statement that school safety “is sure to be a key topic” in the upcoming legislative session. He said Brewer is committed to working with legislators and state School Superintendent John Huppenthal “to make sure our schools have the resources they require to keep classrooms safe.”
Huppenthal did not return repeated calls seeking comment.
Ateam1 posted at 10:56 pm on Fri, Dec 21, 2012.
I'm all for it. But the libtards will shoot this down due to cutting into their welfare goodies. They would rather have more gun control than what makes sense.PHOOEY!!!
Exgop2006 posted at 2:30 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
Keep in mind that Columbine had an armed guard. Virginia Tech had an entire armed campus police force. And one the massacres occurred on a military base, with hundreds of armed soldiers. Please tell me what would be accomplished by such a stupid idea besides the possibility of an old west shootout.
Remember, there was an armed citizen in Tucson. He was smart enough not to draw his weapon. Instead he tackled Loughner. Law enforcement officials do not want shootouts in these instances. Of course this is Arizona where logic and intelligence is lacking.
soricobob posted at 6:14 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
If the NRA would pay for a five year test-trial of officers in the schools (training, arming, and taking responsibility) then I think it would be worth discussing!
bubba posted at 7:35 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
Ateam1......Did you read the very first paragraph ???......."The National Rifle Association said Friday it wants armed police officers in every school, raising costs questions from Republican legislators who normally are their natural allies but picking up support of a key Democrat."
Note that it is Republican legislators balking at this idea, You've got this backwards.
Arizona Willie posted at 8:07 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
Yep, Republican Legislators say ' let's see now ... a few dead kids maybe or raising my taxes for sure to pay for the guards ... hmmm ... I vote for dead kids '.
They would rather have dead kids than a bit higher taxes.
downtownresident posted at 8:47 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
That's the most ignorant, stupid, backward, uninformed, SELF-SERVING statement I've ever heard.
From a former NRA member, who just bought a Glock 35 yesterday.
Deddzone posted at 9:06 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
If Obama wanted this people would scream he was creating a "Police State". The NRA is out of touch and clearly lost it's mind. LaPerre can't remember how many children were shot---pay attention! America does not agree with the NRA.
bubba posted at 9:08 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
soricobob....Excellent idea !! BP pays for the damage they cause. The NRA and makers of assault weapons could pay for the school security needed as a result of their product.
mikedurham posted at 11:22 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
So non NRA people get ignored after 20 children are murdered under NRA policies. Then the NRA central speaks out finally with their old formula of more guns. The NRA policies have failed and failed horribly as many bully single issue philosophies have ... quit selling out our lives, our children's lives and our culture to the NRA. Feature others that have suggestions that don't reflect the NRA'S CASUAL acceptance of murder.
Erko posted at 11:42 am on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
We all know NRA position it is not even worth bringing up. On the otherhand we can not and will never be able to BAN the proplem. Banning guns or clips will never solve the problem. There are more childer killed by cars than shooting and we can BAN cars, sharp objects for stabbing or blunt objects for smashing in skulls. We need to adress the root casue of the problem.
First we need to look at the Mother of this kid, what was her responsibility? She know she had an unstable child, How did she keep the guns? was the guns locked up in a safe or axessible to the kid?
This comes down to responsible gun ownership and how she stored her guns.
As for the future we need to focus on responsible gun ownership and education, Every state have concealed carry permit, you need a background check when you buy a gun. Lets combine these two and make a Federal Gun permit, that is time limited 5 yrs. to own and buy a gun you need a federal gun permit, By doing so we please NRA no gun registration, but a permit to have the right to own and buy a gun.
bubba posted at 1:22 pm on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
Cerberus Capital Management LLP, whose holding company Freedom Group dominates the U.S. gun market, is selling off its entire portfolio of firearms manufacturers in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre. Freedom Group companies account for half of U.S. semi-automatic weapon sales Stock market values on firearms manufactureres have dropped significantly since the shooting ar Sandy Hook. The writing is on the wall.
bubba posted at 3:22 pm on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
While a waitress can be held legally liable for the deaths and damages caused by a patron that was overserved, gun manufacturers are held to a lower standard. Under a controversial law Congress passed seven years ago at the urging of the National Rifle Association, gun manufacturers are explicitly shielded from lawsuits that would seek to hold them liable for crimes committed with weapons they sold. This shows the true function of the NRA.
CrazyOne posted at 9:56 pm on Sat, Dec 22, 2012.
Let's tax gun sales and bullets to fund gun safety programs.
spyderdog posted at 6:00 am on Sun, Dec 23, 2012.
this is the dumbest idea in history. the "guards" at the banks are a million years old, and half asleep all the time (and people still rob banks on the regluar). also, banks have more money then schools do.....you do the math here
wdgnas posted at 6:31 am on Sun, Dec 23, 2012.
of course more guns are the answer. when the only tool in your tool box is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Deddzone posted at 4:40 pm on Sun, Dec 23, 2012.
I think the NRA needs a lawsuit or some class action against it's inability to see reason.
If a pharmaceutical company released a medication that killed kids the government would put a stop to it and the people would demand it. Where is the outrage against the NRA for saying that more guns and more high capacity magazines are not killing kids?
Or, worse---is LaPierre trying a last ditch effort to rally his NRA nuts to buy guns? What are they now, a shadow government beyond control?