Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs this week vetoed House Bill 2332 (HB2332) and Senate Bill 1331 (SB1331), which sought to introduce mandatory firearm safety training in schools and allow parents to carry concealed weapons on school campuses.
The decision has drawn strong criticism from at least one pro-gun organization: Gun Owners of America (GOA).
In a letter addressed to Senate President Warren Petersen (R) and House Speaker Ben Toma (R), Gov. Hobbs stated that ensuring the safety of students is a collective responsibility, and the proposed measures would not be effective in addressing gun violence prevention.
The governor argued that the measures would have a negative impact on students, teachers, and parents.
“Mandatory firearm safety training in schools is not the solution to gun violence prevention. This requirement could lead to immediate and long-term impacts on the health and well-being of
students, teachers, and parents,” wrote Gov. Hobbs in the letter dated April 17, 2023.
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“Nor is it prudent to allow parents to carry concealed weapons on school campuses,” she continued. “Allowing more guns on campus will not make a campus safer. Firearms on campus have the potential to confuse law enforcement as they arrive at an active shooter situation.”
Cyn Ladd, GOA’s Arizona State Director, responded to the Governor’s decision, saying, “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,” Ladd continued.
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.”
The proposed HB2332 would have mandated 1-hour annual training sessions on what to do if students encounter a firearm, without involving firearm operation or actual firearms in the training.
SEE ALSO: Arizona Rancher Charged with First-Degree Murder For Fatally Shooting Illegal Alien on His Property
Schools would have been required to notify parents two weeks before the training and allow them to opt their students out.
Teachers and school administration would not have been required to perform the training classes; instead, school districts would have utilized law enforcement and certified firearm instructors with recognized national or state credentials.
"Katie Hobbs Vetoes More Bills Including Election Policies and School Safety."
— Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) April 20, 2023
Hobbs just vetoed election transparency & protecting your children.
She is sabotaging an entire Legislative session & she is fundraising off of it.
She's a ghoul.https://t.co/yI3nxD6qRe
SB1331 would have prohibited 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.
Despite the strong opposition from pro-gun advocates, Gov. Hobbs claimed that she is committed to finding alternative solutions to gun violence prevention in Arizona schools, such as trauma-informed emergency planning and safe, secure gun storage.
As the issue continues to unfold in Arizona, it remains to be seen whether the state legislature will propose alternative measures in response to the governor’s veto.
Stay tuned for updates.
Update via the NRA-ILA: Gov. Hobbs also vetoed the following pro-gun bills this week:
- Senate Bill 1109, to remove Arizona’s redundant state-level prohibition on suppressors not possessed in accordance with federal law,
- Senate Bill 1428, to strengthen Arizona’s firearm preemption law to prevent localities from prohibiting gun shows.
- These three are in addition to the bill she vetoed last month to discourage businesses from discriminating against the firearm industry.
GOA and NRA-ILA contributed to this article.
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Behold! The newest, ridiculous, smiling face of evil. She has no solution of her own like spending the money to harden entryways and classrooms, procedures to prohibit unauthorized people from gaining access and drills so students know what to do in an active shooter scenario. Instead, she prefers students to be defenseless with no one to protect them until “police arrive”, however long that may be; in the meantime, let some armed perpetrator do whatever they want until the police deal with them. This is unacceptable, I hope AZ Republicans keep working on a solution to which this moron can’t say “NO”!! Get creative. Like more school resource officers, dedicated security for each school. If you ever listen to Hobbs talk, she sounds like quite the dim bulb. Take a page out of the Demonrats book and work some hidden stuff in there!
Guns bad. Gun violence good (for our agenda).
Exactly how could “mandatory firearm safety training in schools … lead to immediate and long-term impacts on the health and well-being of students, teachers, and parents”?
Replace “mandatory firearm safety training” with “driver education” and the idiocy of the statement becomes glaringly clear.
This one is Biden in a dress. Got elected the same way Biden did….from her basement. Arizona really needs to fix its election system or start cheating as much as the dems here do. The liberals were as afraid of Kari Lake as the rest of the country is afraid of Trump. And for good reason.
Along with the line of reasoning, teaching the use of condoms, alternate lifestyles, and other social actovities cause an increase of STDs, and other health issues so should not be taught. Why are those taught in government schools?
The left’s ruling class CELEBRATES every “mass shooting”. What other tool do they have to affect disarmament of their subjects?
Liberal politicians don’t want to stop shootings, they are good for pushing their agenda. The goal of the liberals is nothing short of banning and confiscating all firearms. That’s the only way that they can accomplish their agenda. Making America an authoritarian state.
“ ….. safety of students is a collective responsibility , ….. “
“ Collective “ ? Where have we heard that term before ?
Marx / Engles , perhaps ?
Well duh……..you can’t bitch about school shootings and the poor children if you actually protect them……
Good job Arizona, this fraud gov.Hobbs who cheated her way in will now destroy your state with the democrat’s lunatic agenda, you get what you vote for, happy?
No, we’re not happy. Because those of us that voted didn’t vote for this mess. If you think she was legally voted into office, then you haven’t been paying attention. Kinda like biden.
Exactly, Joe! No one pays attention to another stolen election unless it’s in their state…..
How’s your reading & comprehension? Re read what I said, we are on the same page I believe.