PHOENIX — A gun may be on the supply list for school staff and teachers next year if new legislation is signed into law in Arizona.
House Bill 2022 is one of the first pieces of legislation to make progress in Arizona's new legislature, passing out of the House Education Committee on Tuesday, the second day of session. It would allow teachers and staff at Arizona's schools to carry on campus and in classrooms in a move that supporters say would be an investment in students' safety during a time when school shootings continue to threaten the nation's children.
"We're not advocating to go out and find the active shooter, we're advocating for them to protect their children in the best manner possible," state Rep. Selina Bliss, R-LD 1, said. "And this is the very last step if they were pushed to that situation."
Bliss, who has a background as a nursing educator, sponsored the bill, but says it was written by the Arizona Citizen's Defense League, a nonprofit gun rights group.
Bliss added that the legislation would ensure teachers and staff met high standards of experience with firearms.
"This will require proficiency beyond a police officer's training," she said. "It's incredibly intense to be able to get to this level."
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Bliss' plan isn't new to Arizona. In 2023, the Colorado River Union High School District in rural Bullhead City implemented a policy allowing teachers and staff - and anyone over the age of 21 with a concealed carry permit - to carry on district property and in schools.
"If someone tries to shoot one of our innocent kids, they need to know that we are ready to send them straight to hell," Superintendent Tim Richard said in a board meeting at the time.
If HB 2022 is signed into law, it would make aspects of the Bullhead City policy into a statewide policy. However, it requires the signature of Gov. Katie Hobbs, who indicated in an interview with ABC15 that she may not support it.
"Very likely, no, but we'll wait and see if there's a bill on my desk," Hobbs told ABC15's Fay Fredericks on Thursday.
ABC15 spoke with parents who had varying reactions to the proposal.
Esmeralda, watching her son playing on a playground near his school, said she would be happy with any change that could boost her 4-year-old's chances of safety.
"He goes to a school that goes up to eighth grade, so it's kind of like him being so little with older kids? It's scary," she said.
But Tyrone, a grandfather of 22, said that coming from Chicago himself, he is vehemently against arming more people.
"I think that's a total no-no... If the student pulls his gun, you better believe the teacher gonna pull they gun," he said.
He worries even a simple misunderstanding could lead to tragedy.
"Now, you've already got kids bringing guns to schools, you got teachers bringing guns to schools. To me, that's opening up a war."
HB 2022 is expected to receive a vote on the House floor, which has a Republican majority.
