• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- A bill that would allow school districts to arm teachers and other personnel with guns was approved Tuesday by the South Dakota House after supporters said it could make would-be attackers think twice about entering a school building.
• Representatives voted 42-17 to send the measure to the Senate for further debate.
• Supporters said school boards, particularly in rural areas where no law enforcement officers are stationed in school buildings, need the option of arming teachers, administrators or volunteers to protect against attacks like last month's school shooting in Connecticut. Opponents countered that arming teachers could make schools more dangerous because it could lead to accidental shootings and put guns in the hands of people who are trained to teach, not shoot people.
• The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Scott Craig, R-Rapid City, said the measure leaves it up to each school board to decide whether to train and arm teachers and others. Schools are now inviting targets for potential mass murderers because they are considered gun-free zones, he said.
• "The possibility of an armed presence in any of our schools is a deterrent," Craig said.
• Rep. Ray Ring, D-Vermillion, said he opposes arming school personnel because it's more likely to lead to accidental shootings than to stopping attackers. He noted that associations representing local school boards, school administrators and teachers oppose the bill.
• "Educators believe arming teachers and volunteers with minimal training will

(Continued on page 22)