When it comes to arming teachers in Alabama schools, count Russellville resident Gary Blackburn among those in favor of the idea.
Blackburn, the Franklin County coordinator for BamaCarry, Inc., believes arming trained teachers would serve as an important deterrent as well as a means of protecting students in a rural area whose school doesn't have a law enforcement officer on campus.
“Teachers who are willing should be armed and trained,” Blackburn said. “They can be trained either by an outside source qualified for training or by the local sheriff's office, police department or whoever we can get to do quality training.
“It could be retired police or veterans, whatever we can afford. Money needs to be appropriated for this. Governor (Kay) Ivey formed a task force. We don't need a task force. We need action,” Blackburn said.
Franklin County teachers may become part of a volunteer school security force pursuant to a local bill that became law in 2013. House Bill 404, while not specifically mentioning teachers, provides for certain school employees, retired school employees and citizens of the district to become reserve deputies once they complete training through the Franklin County Sheriffs Department. The program is optional and subject to the approval of the sheriff.
Rep. Allen Farley (R-McCalla) introduced statewide legislation this year that mirrors the language of the Franklin County bill and would create a volunteer school security force for all Alabama schools.
Rep. Will Ainsworth (R-Guntersville) introduced a bill in this year's legislative session that would give teachers an option to be armed in classrooms. Ainsworth's proposal calls for teachers to go to APOST certified law enforcement training for 40 hours. And if they pass the training, subject to mental health background checks, they will be able to carry a concealed weapon on campus.
A representative of Ainsworth's office spoke to the Franklin County BamaCarry group at their March meeting to provide an update on the proposed law.
Ainsworth is a candidate in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor, along with Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh and Rusty Glover.
“It's voluntary. It's not going to be mandatory. It will have some people armed in a school to actually make sure if there is a gunman he's going to be able to be taken out,” Ainsworth said recently.
Blackburn supports Ainsworth's bill.
“I like it. We plan to have Rep. Ainsworth speak to us this spring as well as more candidates between now and November,” Blackburn said.
BamaCarry Franklin County meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at Taylor's Restaurant in Russellville. Blackburn said meeting times will change to the second Tuesday of the month beginning in May.
Past speakers at the group's meetings include Jamie Kiel, Sheriff Shannon Oliver and Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett. Blackburn said Chris McCool, a candidate for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, is scheduled to speak later this year.
BamaCarry is a statewide organization that labels itself Alabama's only no-compromise gun rights group. Blackburn and the group advocates for constitutional carry rights.
“We think permits and fees are an infringement on that right. We think we're singled out paying taxes to support the sheriff's office, when the county commission should support the sheriff's office with monies from everyone in the county, not just those who buy permits,” Blackburn said.
“As long as a law abiding citizen is legally allowed to own and carry a gun, he shouldn't need a permit or have to pay a fee,” he added.
Membership in BamaCarry is $20 per year. For more information on BamaCarry, log onto www.bamacarry.org, or visit their Facebook page at BamaCarry/FranklinCounty.
