FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2023
Washington, D.C. — Today, Gun Owners of America issued a strong rebuke of Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs for vetoing SB 1331 and HB 2332. The bills were aimed at hardening schools and educating young people on firearms safety in an age-appropriate manner.
Cyn Ladd, GOA’s Arizona State Director, issued the following statement:
“Governor Hobbs claims to have met with school safety advocates, and honestly, I’d love to have been a serious part of that discussion. Our legislature has presented several strong, well-thought out, logical solutions to deter violence at schools, and yet, the Governor dismissed them out of hand. There is no reason that an armed parent licensed by the state should be prohibited from entering school grounds, as this possibility only adds an additional layer of defense in a dangerous situation.”
Monte Bowen, GOA’s Pacific Regional Director, added:
“At Gun Owners of America, we will continue to emphasize that the best thing schools can do to deter violence is to harden themselves, which can be in the form of armed guards, allowing willing teachers and staff to carry weapons, and in this case, by allowing licensed passersby, such as parents, to carry. Nothing could send a clearer signal to would be assailants to not mess with our schools. Additionally, while some children are taught firearms safety at home, this sadly is not the norm it historically once was, and it is ridiculous that fear of inanimate objects is standing in the way of educating our young people on how to safely handle a firearm, whether it be their own, or one they encounter.”
SB1331 would prohibit the governing board of an educational institution from restricting a student’s parent or legal guardian from carrying or transporting a firearm on the educational institution’s property if the parent or guardian possesses a valid concealed weapons permit and specifies that this conduct does not constitute misconduct involving weapons.
HB2332 would require school districts and charter schools to provide students in grades 6-12 with one or more firearms safety training sessions in an age-appropriate manner beginning July 1, 2024. The training would be 1 hour once a year, and teach students what to do if they encounter a firearm. HB2332 prohibits training on firearm operation and no firearms would be involved in the training session. Schools would be required to notify parents two weeks before the training and allow them to opt-out the student. Teachers and school administration would not be required to perform the training classes, instead, school districts would utilize law enforcement and certified firearm instructors with recognized national or state credentials.
GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
-GOA-
