(Chris Parker, Headline USA) Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, is garnering more support for his efforts to repeal gun-free zones, an idea that has taken on renewed significance in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.
His bill, the Safe Students Act, currently has 18 cosponsors, all of whom are Republicans. If passed, it would repeal “provisions of federal criminal law that prohibit the possession or discharge of a firearm in a school zone,” reported Big League Politics.
According to Massie, his act “repeals the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and would make it easier for state and local governments and school boards to unambiguously set their own firearms policies.”
Teachers would once again be able to protect students with firearms (pending local legislation), and parents would no longer face felony charges for accidentally forgetting to remove a gun from their car while picking up children.
Massie has frequently distanced himself from gun-control legislation and opted instead to support gun rights – even when it wasn’t the popular decision. He frequently maintains his stance in the midst of calls for additional gun control following a mass shooting.
The US has seen a rise in school shootings since passing the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. In its current state, the GFSZA leaves teachers unable to adequately protect students during a school shooting.
This follows a more general trend of increased murder rates following gun bans. That trend is not limited to the US.
The Crime Prevention Center has reported that 94% of mass shootings over the past 72 years have occurred in gun-free zones.
That provision has come under scrutiny after police in Uvalde refused to stop a school shooter last month, opting instead to arrest concerned parents outside.
Critics have also accused the GFSZA of being unconstitutional throughout its history. Numerous courts have found that it exceeds the authority of Congress and the federal government. However, its provisions are still enforced across the country.
