Arizona gun safety bill for schools sparks heated debate at State Capitol
Should gun safety classes be required for AZ students?
Arizona Senate Bill 1424 aims to bring firearm safety lessons to the classroom. Families impacted by gun violence and Second Amendment advocates are split on the proposal.
PHOENIX - We’re learning more about a bill at the Arizona Statehouse that would require all districts and charter schools to give firearm safety classes to students. This would be for kids as young as kindergarten. The legislation is sparking a lot of debate both inside and outside the Capitol.
Those in favor of the bill and those against it both agree that gun safety is important, as gun violence remains the leading cause of death for children and teens. It is how to implement that safety and enforce it where these groups differ.
Arizona lawmakers and gun freedom advocates are touting three Second Amendment education bills moving through the Capitol this session. One of them, Senate Bill 1424, would require age-appropriate gun safety instruction in Arizona K-12 classrooms.
Arizona State Sen. Wendy Rogers (R) - 7th District
What they're saying:
"Teaching young people how to recognize and respond safely around firearms is simply common sense," said Second Amendment advocate Cheryl Todd.
State Sen. Wendy Rogers said the curriculum focuses on simple steps. "They are taught not to touch it, they are told to leave the area and to tell a trusted adult. This is a 1, 2, 3 memory item," Rogers said.
Arizona bill could require gun safety classes for K-12 students
Arizona lawmakers are debating a bill that would require all K-12 public and charter school students to receive annual firearm safety and accident prevention instruction starting in 2027.
However, Bruce Petillo thinks this legislation is missing the point. His son, Christian, was killed in 2021 by an unsecured gun at a sleepover.
The other side:
"Kids are kids, they don't always make the best decisions, right?" Petillo said. "You're actually shifting the onus of responsibility away from the gun owner and putting it on the kids. When the reality is, if you own a gun, you should be the one responsible for it."
Petillo and his wife, Claire, have been working on safe storage legislation for years. They believe the classroom lessons will not lead to fewer tragedies like the one they live with daily.
Bruce Patillo
"In our situation, the boy who brought the gun out the night Christian died had been 'trained,' yet he still brought a loaded gun out during a sleepover," Petillo said.
Rogers, the sponsor of the bill, says this instruction would not feature any live guns or ammunition in the classroom. "This isn't firearm training, this isn't firearm training, this is firearm 'leave it alone,'" she said.
The bill still needs to pass through a full House vote before it can head to Gov. Katie Hobbs' desk.
The Source: Arizona State Legislature and previous FOX 10 reporting.