North Dakota Moms Demand Action, Everytown Criticize North Dakota Senate Passage of Two Dangerous Gun Bills

BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement after the North Dakota Senate voted to pass two dangerous gun bills:

• HB 1332 — legislation that would allow schools to arm teachers and other school staff. The bill now goes back to the North Dakota House for concurrence.
• HB 1163 — legislation that would make it easy to carry loaded handguns in sensitive areas, including bars, schools, athletic/sporting events, and publicly owned/operated buildings, by reducing the penalty for doing so from a misdemeanor to a mere “infraction.” The bill now moves to the governor’s desk.

“There is no good reason to roll back common-sense public safety laws, and the reasons not to are clear,” said Cheryl Biller, volunteer chapter leader with the North Dakota chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Lawmakers should be working to protect and strengthen North Dakota’s culture of responsibility around gun ownership — not undermine it. We urge Gov. Burgum to consider the public safety impact of these bills — and to exercise his authority to prevent such dangerous proposals from becoming law.”

More information about the risks of arming teachers can be found here. Additionally, proven strategies for improving school safety can be found in a recent report from Everytown, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.