The Sunday open line includes the topic du jour — guns.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a champion of the NRA and thus an improbable target of Republican primary opponent Jan Morgan’s even more rabid love of guns, was on a CBS morning show today and said afterward that he’ll be talking about guns later this week with Donald Trump.
I'm meeting with President @realDonaldTrump this week to discuss how we can make schools safer & this morning I joined @FaceTheNation to share what we've implemented here in Arkansas to keep our students safe.https://t.co/J6DDQj6KR8
— Asa Hutchinson (@AsaforAR) February 25, 2018
Take that, Annie Oakley Morgan.
I’m guessing that session won’t produce a raft of gun-control legislation. But I bet it WILL produce more talk about putting more people in schools with guns. As I noted earlier this week there was a time Hutchinson favored more guns in school, but NOT in the hands of classroom teachers. Hutchinson hasn’t gone Trumpian on arming teachers just yet, but he has opened the door farther than he’s gone before. So thanks a heap, Jan, for that.
Hutchinson, however, said there needs to be “flexibility” when it comes to addressing the issue of arming teachers in schools.
“Let me emphasize, there has to be some flexibility here. I’ve always said that teachers should teach and others should protect,” said Hutchinson.
“There are some teachers who, whenever they’re looking at options and they’ve got the training and they’ve got the temperament and they’ve, they’ve done what’s necessary,” he added. “And if they want to be able to have a protection and be armed with that training I think that’s a prerogative that they should have as well.”
On Face the Nation, Hutchinson was already taking up Trump’s call the guns-in-school was a state issue. He noted that some Arkansas schools already have put armed staff in schools after security guard training.
LaPierre was talking in 1999 mostly about students, but he added:
LaPierre made a passing reference to armed guards in schools, referring to “the rare exception of law enforcement officers or trained security personnel.” As for arming teachers, something President Donald Trump has shown a keen interest in, LaPierre said nothing.
And speaking of guns, you should like a video from writer Jason Taylor of an AR-15, a gun available for instant
What the @NRA and Dana Loesch don't want you to see:
The following video clip is a basic AR-15 with a bump stock.
Make sure to watch the entire clip. #BoycottNRA #BanAssaultWeapons
"Just an AR-15 on steroids." pic.twitter.com/Gt5xKv3aNb
— Jᴀsᴏɴ W. Tᴀʏʟᴏʀ (@JWadeTaylor) February 25, 2018