A key Florida House committee just approved a bill to arm teachers
- Florida lawmakers on a key committee approved a bill to allow teachers to carry guns in school.
- The bill included a $67 million program to train teachers to carry guns.
- The bill would leave it up to the discretion of individual school districts to decide whether they wanted to arm teachers or not.
The Florida House Appropriations Committee approved a bill on Tuesday that included a $67 million program to train teachers to carry guns, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
It's "the last line of defense," Rep. Jose Oliva said, according to The Times.
A similar bill passed in the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee later on Tuesday.
The bill also would raise the gun-buying age from 18 to 21 and mandates a three-day waiting period for purchases.
But the most controversial part of the bill is the "school marshal" program, which aims to have 10 teachers trained to carry a gun in schools. School boards would decide for themselves whether they want to arm teachers or not.
It's unclear whether teachers would have to buy their own guns or if districts would provide guns to teachers.
The bill was introduced following the deadly Parkland school shooting in Florida. Some survivors of the shooting and other Parkland residents have expressed opposition to the bill.
The bills would still need to be approved by the full House, Senate, and Gov. Rick Scott before they become law.