Yukon Lawmaker Holds 'Arm The Teachers' Event

A Yukon lawmaker partnered with the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association to host an event assisting teachers with getting a license to carry a handgun.

Representative Jay Steagall said he wants to use his store, Clover Precision, and his skills to make a difference in Oklahoma schools.

“There's been a lot of incidents from coast to coast, and we're all trying to figure out what we can do to help that situation. As a gun owner, a firearm instructor as well as a state legislator, I wanted to make sure that I was making available all the tools that I had to help arm those that protect our kids even if they're not on school grounds,” Representative Steagall said.

Oklahoma state law says school districts can allow teachers and staff to carry if they have a valid armed security guard license or a valid reserve peace officer certification. That person must also be designated by the Board of Education.

“This again is the first step in getting that license that's required by state law. It provides a really good background of the law as it applies to those who carry in the state of Oklahoma, the training standards that are in the state law,” Steagall said.

Cloverleaf Precision offers an eight-hour course and hands-on training.

“Most of the folks that are going to carry on campus are going to carry concealed so that no one actually sees that, so there's no reason to be nervous. Most of the kids that grew up in Oklahoma grew up around firearms,” Steagall said.

Some students said this does make them nervous.

“Not everyone is meant to be a police officer. Not everyone is meant to save a life. I think trying to give the persona that teachers are meant to be heroes is the wrong thing to do and giving the gun to the wrong person can definitely end more lives than save any,” Amaya Harris said.

“Rather than investing in our teachers and teaching them to teach, we want to teach them to shoot guns, which is completely backwards because the problem starts with mental health,” Alasia Smith said.

Steagall said he's received messages from some teachers wanting this training.

“This isn't going to help those that want to carry just on school grounds and meet the criteria as far as state law is concerned but it will also help them in their daily lives,” Representative Steagall said.