Last Monday, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed Senate Bill 1331, which would have allowed parents with a concealed carry weapon (CCW) permit to bring a firearm on public school campuses. Once again, the left is making it more difficult for families to protect their children.
Arizona is a constitutional carry state, meaning, the state recognizes citizens’ right to own, carry, and use firearms for self-defense in public settings — provided the individual is of a certain age, depending on which firearm they wish to possess, and is eligible to own a firearm. Gun owners in Arizona have the right under the law to conceal carry or open carry a firearm in public without a government issued permit. However, obtaining a CCW permit in Arizona enables firearm owners to carry in more places and expedites new firearm purchases, among other benefits.
Parents in Arizona already have the right to protect their children in public using personally owned firearms, but SB1331 would have allowed parents to protect their children while at school as well.
"Ensuring the safety of our students is a responsibility that belongs to all of us," Governor Hobbs said in her veto letter. Some parents in the state, however, feel that this veto means the safety of students will be entirely up to law enforcement, and parents will be unable to play an active role.
The legislation was introduced in the wake of multiple tragic school shootings, but specifically aims to solve the problem first seen on a national scale in the Uvalde, Texas massacre last year. Hundreds of police officers were on site, but refrained from entering the classroom where children and teachers were desperately awaiting rescue. Officers can be heard in recordings expressing fear over the gunmans’ "battle rifle."
"Law enforcement refused to confront the shooter until nearly 400 officers were on the scene, including 150 U.S. Border Patrol agents and 91 Texas DPS officers."
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During this time, a mother of two children at Robb Elementary School, where the shooting occurred, told news outlets that she pleaded with officers to save the children and staff inside; however they took no action. Angeli Rose Gomez reportedly took matters into her own hands, evaded law enforcement, and ran into the school towards the gunfire to rescue her two sons. All three escaped safely.
"Allowing more guns on campus will not make a campus safer," the Arizona Governor said, "Firearms on campus will have the potential to confuse law enforcement as they arrive at an active shooter situation." Governor Hobbs instead said that she believes the solution to gun violence is "policy focuses on trauma-informed emergency planning and safe, secure gun storage."
This piece originally appeared at TPUSA.
