Could teachers be allowed to carry guns when school year starts?

The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would give school boards the power to arm their teachers.

Teachers who survived the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, were paying attention to this and urged senators not to pass the bill.

State Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17th District, read a letter from teachers who lived through what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

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Those teachers said having guns would make things worse.

But Sen. Don White, R-41st District and the bill's main sponsor, disagrees.

He recalled going to Franklin Regional High School in Westmoreland County the day police say Alex Hribal stabbed 20 classmates and a security guard.

"I thought I was visiting a slaughterhouse," White said. "This damage was done in 4:54. Police protection was 2.5 minutes away."

Channel 11 went to Westmoreland County to talk with people in the area.

"As an educator, I can say having guns is not the answer," said Rachel Jackson, who is a professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. "That's not the direction we should be pursuing if we want to make our schools safer."

White points out the bill does not require teachers to carry, but argues it would be a cost-saving option for districts struggling to pay for protection.

The bill moves on to the state House.

Gov. Tom Wolf promises to veto it.

Cox Media Group