Will Ainsworth ‘honored’ Kay Ivey adopted his school security plan
Republican Lieutenant governor candidate Will Ainsworth announced on Thursday that he is honored Governor Kay Ivey chose to adopt his proposal to train and arm school administrators to protect their schools in the event of an active shooter situation. “Every school shooting that takes place in another state around the country brings us one step closer to an active shooter attacking classrooms here, in Alabama” Ainsworth said. “Gov. Ivey’s decision to adopt a portion of my plan is a good first step, but we must empower teachers to defend their students against those who wish to do harm.” Ainsworth made his proposal in the legislative session earlier this year, and even though the bill, Ivey’s Alabama Sentry Program is very similar to the proposed bill. The bill, HB435, proposed that school administrators, principals, and teachers who met certain qualifications be allowed to carry a firearm on school campuses. It also required that those carrying must complete a 40-hour course in basic school policing in a program approved by the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission, and pass an annual firearm re-qualification; the same test required of law enforcement officers. The Alabama Sentry Program that Ivey announced on Wednesday is “a voluntary program which will permit administrators in schools, without an SRO, to maintain a firearm on campus in a secured safe in order to be prepared to respond to an active shooter situation.” The only real difference between the two plans is Ainsworth’s provision to include teachers in the program, which he believes is crucial to the program’s success. “On the day that the Parkland, Florida school shooting occurred, I drafted legislation allowing school teachers and administrators to carry firearms if they volunteered to undergo mental health evaluations and completed thorough law enforcement training, but House Democrats and gun control advocates blocked my bill from passing,” Ainsworth said. “I am honored that Gov. Kay Ivey saw the wisdom in my school security plan and plans to arm some school administrators, but teachers should be given the option, as well. One armed administrator cannot defend an entire school, and until teachers are allowed to defend their classrooms with something more lethal than a ruler and a No. 2 pencil, our children remain at risk.”
Armed teacher bill on top of State House’s legislative calendar Tuesday
Alabama lawmakers in the State House will debate whether teachers can carry guns on campus when they return to session on Tuesday. Sponsored by Guntersville-Republican State Rep. Will Ainsworth, HB435 would allow some public school teachers and administrators to undergo firearms training and arm themselves during school hours, in order to help prevent school shoots like the one that occurred last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. “Our children are sitting ducks in gun-free schools. As the parent of three public school students, I believe we must act now in order to prevent another tragedy,” Ainsworth posted on Facebook ahead of introducing the bill. House Democratic Leader Anthony Daniels said he’s disappointed the chamber is prioritizing the bill. “I am deeply disappointed the ‘Weaponizing Classrooms’ proposal is at the top of our calendar today,” said Daniels. “This proposal is a bad idea and would create dangerous policy. Putting loaded guns in our classrooms, and teachers even further on the front lines, will only pose greater danger to them and our students. The bill narrowly passed a committee vote last week before advancing to the full House, which Daniels considers a reason to have reservations about taking it up further. “As was clear during last week’s discussion in committee, this legislation raises far more concerns and questions than it answers. Members from both sides of the aisle and even Governor Ivey, a former schoolteacher herself, obviously have deep concerns and reservations,” Daniels added. “For the sake of our schoolchildren and teachers, we must do better to address these issues with proven proposals rather than knee jerk ideas like this.”
Hoping the walkout was a wake up for today’s youth
I’ve seen a lot of mixed opinions about the national school walkout yesterday meant to honor the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting Parkland, Fla. The sentiments range from proud of the students to hostile towards their message. I’m proud of those engaged even though I whole heartedly disagree with the gun control message they’re pushing. What is important is that teens are waking up to the fact that their voice should, and does, carry weight. I’m a very strong 2nd Amendment supporter so I disagree with the premise that firearms are the problem and that firearm restrictions are the solution. However, the fact youth realize that true grassroots activism can cause change is a good thing for our country. With our election participation rates being so ridiculously low for youth — just 24 million people under the age of 29 voted in 2016. In Alabama’s special U.S. Senate election in December, only 23 percent of the voters, which translates to translates to approximately 175,000 were under the age of 29 — it’s refreshing to see young people actually getting involved in the political process. On the other side of this event was a movement to “Walk up, not walk out.” While I like the walk out for its sign of unity, strength and activism, I love the idea of taking action and making a difference better. High school is a very cliquish time. Which can be hard on even the most popular and well adjusted students. What’s worse is those who find themselves lost without friends or a sense of belonging which is easy during the young awkward years. In this digital day and age, bullying and meanness and loneliness are real issues and the impacts they have are huge. Opening the eyes of today’s youth and teaching them to be empathic is a good thing. It’s not up to our students to identify those who could commit these types of heinous crimes, but it is important for those to be aware of their classmates and to talk to adults about them if they have legitimate concerns. Learning more about your peers, those outside your social circle is something that is real and will have tangible results in the lives of students. Is every school outcast a mass shooter about to happen NO? The quiet loner could be the student who’s new to the school, the student who’s homeless or is living in poverty, the student who’s dealing with a sick mom or dad, it could be a student who’s introverted and misunderstood. The possibilities are endless and your child won’t know until they reach out and say hello. The chances of that person being a threat to the kind kids are incredibly rare (read statistically not really happening). Again, this isn’t about identifying and stopping the next shooter this is about making our world a better place in general. Students want something they can do. Well they can make a friend and learn something new. They can practice kindness and empathy not with the goal of ending violence but with the goal of being good people. If that comes out of yesterday’s protests and efforts, then it’s a win for all of us. In Alabama, we had a number of schools and students to participate. I think that it opens the door for parents what our responsibilty is for kids in our communities. For the walk out or walk up crowd, I think it’s the kind of activism we need. Just as supporters of the 2nd Amendment want hold tight to their Constitutional rights, we can’t ignore the 1st Amendment. It’s marches and sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations that put our country in a place where women now have the right to vote. And blacks have the rights that they should’ve had all along. So this is a good thing for all of us.
Fatal school shooting reignites Alabama legislative debate
A shooting in an Alabama high school that left one student dead and another injured reignited debate Thursday among state lawmakers trying to come to a school safety solution before the end of the session. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon met separately with Republicans and Democrats who sponsored school safety bills to consider proposing a package or reaching a compromise after Wednesday’s shooting. House members at the meetings said the Speaker’s actions showed hope for passing legislation this year, but bills face a rapidly approaching deadline in the next three weeks. “We have a responsibility to do something,” said McCutcheon, who emphasized that he didn’t want to rush bills through the legislature. “I don’t want this issue to turn into a political issue, because our children are more important than politics and getting re-elected. This is something we need to take very seriously. We need to work on this and have a comprehensive plan.” McCutcheon said he would speak with Senate leadership and respond next week with recommendations. A day before the shooting, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey had introduced a school safety council and called for a report with security recommendations to be released in April. Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh said he hoped legislators would wait for the report before “throwing in bills.” He projected nothing would pass until 2019. Birmingham police have taken one person into custody while they investigate the shooting, which took place the same day Florida lawmakers passed a school security bill package. It includes raising the age to buy an assault weapon and arming teachers, measures which have also been proposed in Alabama. Alabama House members said they would review and consider Florida’s legislation. The shooting renewed calls from House Democrats for gun control. “That young man should not have been able to bring a gun into the school,” said Rep. Mary Moore, a Democrat who proposed a bill to ban the future sale of assault weapons. “Whether accidental or not, it should not have happened.” State Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, who represents the district where the shooting took place, got emotional on the Senate floor Thursday. She said lawmakers aren’t doing enough to protect children. “I don’t have the answers, but I do believe that among all of us, we can find a way to make our children have a safe environment,” Coleman-Madison said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
‘Accidental shooting’ at Birmingham high school kills teen girl; 2 others hurt
One Birmingham, Ala. student has died following an “accidental” school shooting during dismissal on Wednesday Birmingham City Schools confirmed in a statement. Huffman High School was briefly placed on lockdown as police were called to the scene. Students were later released and police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the shooting. Wednesday evening, Birmingham Police Chief Orlando Wilson confirmed one female student, 17, died on the way to the hospital, and a male student, also 17, is in critical but stable condition. According to AL.com an adult victim was treated and released at the scene. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin held a press conference at the school at 5:45 p.m., less than two hours after the incident. “I just want to remind all of us, that we lost a person today. Not just a person, but a student. But I’m quickly reminded this is not just a student, but someone’s daughter. Someone’s niece, someone’s best friend, someone’s granddaughter we lost,” Woodfin somberly said at the press conference. “This is a 17 year old who 30 days from now would be 18. A graduating senior who had been accepted into college already. Who had aspirations and dreams to be a nurse.” Woodfin continued, “We’re not just talking about some person, we’re talking about losing a part of our future. Our hearts are heavy, but I think it’s really important to find a way to mourn with this family and wrap our arms around the Huffman High School community.” Wednesday evening, Gov. Kay Ivey responded to the tragic news. “I am saddened to learn about the death of the Huffman High School student. I am praying for the family of this young lady who has tragically lost her life way too early,” said Ivey. “Every life is precious and, even though this was an accident, it reaffirms that there is no place for students to have firearms or other weapons on campus.” “My heart is breaking tonight for those hurt and killed in the shooting today at Huffman High School,” Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell posted on Facebook. “As we continue to learn more, please pray with me for the victims and their families.” The Birmingham City Schools statement below:
Mike Rogers: The true root of the problem
Across East Alabama, I know our hearts and prayers have been with all of those affected by the recent tragedy at Parkland High School. Any time innocent lives are lost – especially the lives of young people – it shakes us to the core. The Parkland tragedy was the culmination of terrible mistakes and missed opportunities by various authorities. Law enforcement was called regarding the shooter dozens of times with little or no follow up. The FBI failed to pass on tips to be investigated. The shooter even posted images and statements on social media about wanting to be a school shooter. It is crystal clear he was a very mentally disturbed individual that authorities completely missed despite repeated warnings and opportunities. The debate we should be having now is how did local, state and federal authorities fail to follow through on all the warnings? How can we improve mental health care in our nation? How can we make our schools safer? According to State of Florida, a person who is adjudicated mentally defective or involuntarily committed by a judge may be prohibited from purchasing a gun. The Parkland shooter could have had either of these actions taken against him with the laws currently on the books by the state if the authorities had acted on the first warning signs. The same was true with the killer in last year’s church massacre in Texas. He was convicted of domestic abuse and served time in a military jail. One cannot legally buy a gun with such convictions, but the Air Force never reported him to the national data base. Instead of talking facts and looking for honest solutions, gun control advocates choose to attack the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. A psychotic criminal intent on committing mass murder does not care about the law and will find a weapon – be it a gun, a knife, or even a vehicle to plow over people. We must find ways to identify and help those suffering from mental illnesses. ••• Mike Rogers is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. Sign-up for his e-Newsletter by visiting www.mikerogers.house.gov. To stay up to date, you can also like him on Facebook at Congressman Mike D. Rogers, follow him on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram at RepMikeRogersAL, on Tumblr at www.repmikerogersal.tumblr.com.
Daniel Sutter: Can’t we do something about school shootings?
The recent tragedy at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High has sadly raised this question again. The failure to prevent the loss of young lives reflects both an unpleasant reality and some problems of politics. Preventing school shootings is very hard in a nation with millions of guns. Once someone decides to do evil, they can usually get guns and pick the time and place for their act. Law enforcement can only react, and mass shootings typically last just minutes. If deterrence, discouragement, and intervention (if possible) fail, protecting 100,000 schools is nearly impossible. The impossibility of preventing shootings does not justify doing nothing. Economics emphasizes that we make choices on the margin. Can measures prevent, or reduce the harm from, school shootings without unacceptably abridging citizens’ gun rights? The occasional failures of agencies administering gun laws provide one component of this difficulty. Convictions that should have prevented the perpetrator of the Sutherland Springs, Texas, church shooting from legally purchasing weapons were never entered into a national database. The FBI and local police did not act on threats made by Florida suspect Nikolas Cruz. And the sheriff’s deputy assigned to Stoneman High failed to engage the shooter. Several elements of politics make this already challenging task even harder. One is short political attention spans, or what public choice economists call rational ignorance. Our actions have little impact on outcomes in a large democracy: one vote almost never decides a Federal election. So voting against our interests because of not paying attention to politics is almost costless. Rational ignorance helps politicians appear to act decisively against societal evils like school shootings. If some politicians claim that banning bump stocks (which allow semi-automatic rifles to fire at higher rates) will prevent mass shootings, who could object? Clever politicians know that easy solutions have little chance of working, and that voters will not hold them accountable for ineffective policy. Defenders of gun rights seemingly fear that even the most innocuous restrictions will contain provisions somehow restricting gun rights. Such lack of trust may be understandable. Laws are difficult to repeal, as Republicans have discovered with the Affordable Care Act. This difficulty can encourage deceit and subterfuge; trick people into supporting a law they will eventually oppose and policy can be altered for years. In markets, deceit and subterfuge typically provide only temporary benefit. Suppose that a home security company offers an armed response against intruders, which turns out to be calling 911. Disappointed customers will cancel their contracts, and the company’s reputation could be harmed permanently. One final relevant element of politics is what economist Bryan Caplan has labeled rational irrationality. Voters face few personal and direct consequences from inconsistent or incorrect beliefs, helping these beliefs persist. What’s the rational irrationality on gun control? If government is for the people, citizens must have a right to reign in an overreaching government. And because a tyrant may not surrender power if citizens ask nicely, “reigning in” must mean armed resistance. But does gun ownership preserve freedom in the United States today, or is this just a libertarian fantasy? And even if an armed populace checked tyranny, would a waiting period necessarily undermine this check? These are hard and troubling questions for libertarians like me. In politics, we can join the NRA and vow no compromise. In other contexts, gun owners might make tradeoffs. A libertarian gun owner with young children might decide that guns locked safely away can still prevent tyranny. Unions and management are often as skeptical of each other’s motives and intentions as the two sides on gun control. And yet strikes are rare, because their cost provides an incentive to get past rhetoric and negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. Politics features few personal costs and consequently lots of bluster, deceit, and fantasy. Should we be surprised then that we make little progress on really hard problems? ••• Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.
Alabama’s Congressional Democrats ready for gun control action, Republicans mum
Americans across the country are once again calling on Congress to take action on gun control following last week’s massacre in Parkland, Fla. that left 17 people dead at a high school. While Congress has yet to take action, President Donald Trump helped move the conversation forward on Monday when he offered support for a limited strengthening of federal background checks on gun purchases. “While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered, the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system,” confirmed White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Trump’s is referring to the Fix NICS Act. Introduced last year by Texas-Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the bill is aimed to “fix” the way in which existing background checks can prevent firearm purchases by those who present possible red flags to state and local authorities. The legislation would ensure that federal and state authorities comply with existing law and accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The bill also penalizes federal agencies that fail to properly report relevant records and incentivizes states to improve their overall reporting and directs more federal funding to the accurate reporting of domestic violence records. Within the Alabama delegation, Democrats U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri A. Sewell are glad to see Trump’s support for policy change and are ready to see Congress take action. “I absolutely support strengthening our background check system, and I’m glad the President agrees,” said Jones. “We need better data reported to the database, we need to close the gun show loophole, and we need to look at ways we can improve school safety. These won’t fix the problem overnight, but they are common sense first steps that we can take immediately.” Sewell agrees the Fix NICS Act is a step in the right direction. “I strongly agree that the Congress must take bipartisan action to strengthen background checks and address the epidemic of gun violence that has claimed so many lives,” remarked Sewell. “The Fix NICS Act is a step in the right direction, but alone, it is not enough to address the tragic reality of gun violence in America that has struck communities from Parkland to Las Vegas to Newtown.” But Sewell doesn’t believe the bill, which is backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, goes far enough on its own. “This bill does not close the gun show loophole or prevent the reckless sale of bump stocks, both of which deserve legislative solutions,” Sewell added. “I believe the President’s support for Sen. Cornyn’s bill is proof of the growing public demand for action among both Republicans and Democrats. I have always been a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, but Congress can no longer settle for symbolic gestures when gun violence kills more Americans every day.” Meanwhile Republicans have remained mostly mum offering only their thoughts and prayers to the victims’ families. 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne being the only exception. When Alabama Today asked all members of the Alabama delegation whether or not they supported improving the federal background check system, Byrne’s was the only Republican office to respond. “Congressman Byrne is open to evaluating any proposal from the Trump Administration regarding potential changes to the background check system. He will wait to review the proposals before weighing in,” said Byrne spokesperson Seth Morrow.
Twinkle Cavanaugh asks Alabama Legislature to train teachers as Reserve Deputy Sheriffs
In the wake of Wednesday’s school shooting in Parkland, Fla. people across the country are looking for solutions to prevent similar massacres in the future. One such solution-seeker is the president of the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) and Lt. Governor candidate Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh. She’s asking the Alabama Legislature to consider a 2013 school safety law, which was passed for Franklin County, to be considered statewide. Spearheaded by Red Bay-Democrat State Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, the Alabama legislature passed HB404 in 2013, which allows suitable teachers, school personnel, and locals to volunteer to be trained as Reserve Deputy Sheriffs and carry firearms on school grounds in Franklin County. Cavanaugh says the law has has given the state a model to study for almost five years when it comes to the subject of school safety “I find it shameful when people, on both sides of the aisle, play politics with tragedies. This is an exploitation tactic used almost exclusively by liberals, hotheads, and children,” Cavanaugh said in a press release. “Yesterday there was a knee-jerk reaction to try to capture the headlines of every news story in Alabama for political gain. I believe we need strong, measured leadership that puts our children and teachers first- not political pandering.” Cavanaugh added, “Yesterday, I spoke with Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver, along with the bill’s sponsor, and the bill seems to be working in Franklin County. I would ask that the legislature look at this bill and look how well it has worked for Franklin County. This bill could be expanded to a statewide level on a bipartisan basis, as the 2013 bill passed without a single ‘nay’ vote in both the House and the Senate.” This bill would allow local control of school safety, giving decision-making power to a county’s sheriff, principals, and school board. According to Cavanaugh, many Alabama counties do not have the funding for resource officers, leaving law enforcement with a long response time to schools in an active shooter situation. Which is precisely why HB404 was introduced and passed in the first place — following the Sandy Hook school shooting, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office realized that their response time in a similar situation would be over thirty minutes to East Franklin.
Lawmaker to introduce bill to Alabama teachers to carry firearms
Guntersville-Republican, State Rep. Will Ainsworth on Thursday said he will introduce legislation to allow some public school teachers and administrators to undergo firearms training and arm themselves during school hours, in order to help prevent school shoots like the one that occurred Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. “Our children are sitting ducks in gun-free schools. As the parent of three public school students, I believe we must act now in order to prevent another tragedy,” Ainsworth posted on Facebook. Ainsworth, who is not seeking re-election in to the State House but is running for Lt. Governor, said he still has research to do before introducing a bill. Once introduced, Ainsworth’s bill would join a handful several others across the nation endeavoring to put more guns in schools for the defense of teachers and students. Similar bills have been filed in Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia this year alone. If successful, Ainsworth’s bill would just at least nine, which already allow some form of concealed carry in schools.
Stop vilifying gun owners and NRA members every shooting
Yesterday’s tragedy in Florida reminds us (again) that life is precious and evil exists. Shootings, as with other acts of violence and terrorism, have always struck me to the core. Innocent lives lost locally, across the nation or even across the globe are a tragedy that no one should endure. I thought I understood loss and fear — then I became a mother. As a mother, it makes me want to hold on to my children close and never let them out of my sight, though these days even that wouldn’t guarantee their safety. My children are my heart. I can’t begin to fathom the agony that the parents must feel losing theirs. When we have situations like the one in South Florida or Las Vegas, or any other gun tragedy, the question that come to mind first is how could this have been prevented? Yet very quickly, it stops being about actual prevention. And it becomes nothing more than a politically polarizing fight of us vs. them. Gun owners vs. gun critics. Facts and fiction get twisted. We saw this with the exaggeration of how many school shootings there had been, a Bloomberg group cited 18. That number includes more than violent acts it in schools during school settings. A Washington Post article sorts through the fact vs. fiction of that including the fact that number included an adult suicide in the parking lot of a school that had not been in use in seven months. It also included the discharge of a firearm after school hours and a few accidental discharges. But facts didn’t stop countless news outlets across the country from repeating the Bloomberg propaganda, and the facts certainly won’t stop the bad information from being spread throughout the internet. This brings me to the emotional arguments of gun control that follow shootings. There are those who believe that if you support gun rights you don’t have compassion for the lives lost, that you don’t value life, or that in some way you are responsible for this level of violence that we see. That’s simply not true. It’s disgusting to dehumanize someone based on their position on gun control. Just as it is wrong for conservatives to dehumanize pro-choice supporters. We are all human and I don’t know a single person who’s not rocked to the core by these senseless acts of violence and terror. I worked for the NRA-ILA for two campaign seasons. While I in no way speak for the organization, I can tell you about my personal experience. I went to both gun shops and gun shows and talked to gun owners. There’s such a strong sense of community and family among those who own firearms, and they absolutely want to protect their Second Amendment rights. But they also love life and those around them. Second Amendment supporters are opposed to and appalled, shocked and disgusted by gun crime. Those two things are not mutually exclusive. You don’t have to have a dead heart to be a member of the NRA or support Second Amendment rights. Opposing limitations on the lawful ownership and use of firearms and/or belonging to a group that is not the same as supporting crime and certainly is not an indictment on one’s character as gun opponents would have you believe. So what does “I am the NRA” mean to me? It means that I am member of an organization, a group of people who support fundamental, American rights. You may not understand someone’s need or want for a specific type of gun, but that does not mean that gun should be banned. You may not understand the need of, or desire, for someone to recreationally shoot firearms, but your opinion doesn’t trump their rights. I don’t like some profane words — I recently wrote a blog about the n-word. I don’t understand why people choose to use it. But it’s their right. I don’t understand lyrics to songs that incite violence, dehumanize women and negate the value of law enforcement, but I understand that they stem from someone’s right to express themselves and they exist for those who do enjoy them. Don’t tell me words don’t kill people the same way as guns because I’d argue they can, and do. Words can incite violence, and hatred, and disrespect, and that they’re immeasurably powerful. This is why we rallied as a nation when the Charlottesville protest happened to shout out the voices of hate. The idea that “common sense regulations” will stop violence is simply not the case. What we really need to get to is the heart of the matter. Everyone is looking for answers, as they do after each shooting. Even more than that, they’re looking for something that will give them a sense of control. It is during these initial days, full of grief and rage, that gun control advocates and Second Amendment supporters inevitably find themselves inundated with opinions from the other side. The shouting drowns out the solutions we could agree on. The solutions we do agree on which there are many. It also drowns out the questions that go beyond gun control that suck the air out of the room: Knowing that studies have shown early exposure to violent forms of entertainment are predictors of later aggressive behavior why aren’t we doing more to limit access to this source of influence? The Texas shooting showed a breakdown in reporting that allowed someone who was ineligible to purchase a firearm to do so. In the case of Florida would an involuntary mental health hold on the young man who committed the atrocious acts have put him in the system so that he would not have been able to purchase his firearm? Teachers and former classmates say while he was a student, he had an angry disposition that led to him being expelled and flagged as a danger on school grounds. Last year, he had reportedly commented on a YouTube post that he would be a “professional
