Governor Edwards Opposes Arming Teachers In The Classroom
Governor John Bel Edwards says he does not like the idea of arming teachers in the classroom. Edwards says he's speaking with the Louisiana Sheriff's Association and State Police Colonel Kevin Reeves on a comprehensive school safety program.
"Principally around school resource officers, making sure we have an adequate number of those in each school and they are properly trained," Edwards said.
There are several bills filed by Republican lawmakers seeking to allow teachers and other school officials carry concealed handguns.
There are also many proposals in this regular session that call for a constitutional convention. Edwards prefers a study group be formed first, so a consensus can be built on what areas of the constitution should be changed.
"Should it be just Article 6 and 7 dealing with the budget and revenue or should it be more broadly or should it be more everything," Edwards said.
There are also bills filed in this regular session that seek to change the criminal justice reform package approved last year. The governor says he's fine with small changes, but not a large overhaul on the legislation designed to lower the state's incarceration rate and put more money towards offender rehabilitation programs.
"We are working with our partners, trying to figure out what tweaks are advisable and resisting any efforts to rollback in wholesale fashion the gains we were able to make," Edwards said.