NY Gov. Cuomo Signs Bill Banning Teachers From Carrying Guns In School
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Amid rising fears of school shootings and children carrying firearms, New York's school teachers will remain unarmed.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill Wednesday which prevents school districts from arming school staff who are not school resource officers, law enforcement officers or security guards on school grounds.
"The answer to the gun violence epidemic plaguing this country has never been and never will be more guns, and today we're expanding New York's nation-leading gun safety laws to further protect our children," said Cuomo.
The governor also said he has told state police to establish regulations to bolster existing gun buyback programs and create new programs for removing "illegal, unsecured, abandoned or unwanted firearms."
The move comes a year after President Donald Trump promoted the idea of arming trained school staff members with guns in the wake of major school shootings like the one in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.
"Arming teachers with guns can only lead to additional tragedies," said Assembly Member Judy Griffin. "While we will always remember the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, this legislation ensures that teachers will never have the burden of choosing between protecting their students or themselves from a violent shooter."
With the possibility of federal funding for it, both Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy came out against the idea.
Earlier this year there was a major push to get the governor to sign a bill requiring guns to be stored securely in homes after a 10-year-old student brought a loaded handgun to school.
