Pre-filed bill would allow school personnel to be armed

A bill pre-filed last week in the Missouri legislature by Rep. Mike Kelley, R-Lamar, proposes allowing teachers and administrators in Missouri public schools to carry concealed weapons on school property.

Filed Dec. 18 in the wake of tragic school shootings at Sandy Hook Elemenatary School, Newtown, Conn., Kelley's bill, which has 24 co-sponsors, doesn't require anyone to carry concealed weapons; but if they choose to do so, school staffers would be required to carry them on their person rather than putting them in a drawer or cabinet.

Reaction to the the pre-filed proposal has been mixed, ranging from assertions that such a proposal will spark public discussion, to a Lamar school adminsitrator's hope that weapons will never become something common in schools. Lamar R-1 superintendent Dennis Wilson told the Lamar Democrat last week that the notion is "dangerous" and "irresponsible."

Nevada R-5 officials were not available at the time of this writing. Look for an update in a future edition of the Nevada Daily Mail.