BOISE, Idaho — H-415 passed 53-16 with one no vote after a passionate debate on Wednesday. The bill would allow school employees to carry a concealed weapon permit after required training.
- H-415 was debated for almost two hours
- Bill sponsor Rep. Ted Hill vigorously defended the bill
- The final vote sends the bill to the Senate for discussion
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Bill sponsor Republican Ted Hill from Eagle stood and answered a barrage of questions from lawmakers concerned over how. Questions for instance, would a school employee with a concealed weapon permit be held liable for shooting the wrong person?
Rep. Illana Rubel expressed her views on why she's voting no to 415. "I feel like there's a Die Hard (movie) fantasy out there where we all want to see Bruce Willis be the good guy and take out the bad guy, but it really is a fantasy. It isn't how it plays out most of the time."
But Hill had plenty of support from fellow Republicans including Rep.Josh Turner who said this. "Realistically it's about the vulnerability of kids. We've made these schools vulnerable by taking them. I think most of you have grown up in Idaho, like me. I grew up in rural Idaho where every pickup truck that sat in the parking lot had guns in the back window."
I spoke with one State Senator after the vote and asked when he thinks the Senate will have its third reading on the bill. The Senator told me probably in the next two weeks. I'll keep a very close eye on it.
