Officials from two of Idaho’s largest school districts, as well as three educator associations and a law enforcement association came out against a bill that would have prevented them from regulating knives on campus. They say the proposed legislation would have threatened the safety of students in the state.
SB 1092, which was sponsored by State Sen. Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, passed the Senate last week 25-10, reports the Idaho Statesman. The bill would have put the state in charge regulating knives in cities, schools and other jurisdictions. Heider believes the rules regarding the carrying of knives should be the same everywhere in Idaho.
Although the bill was passed in the senate, it was defeated in committee by one vote.
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The bill caught educators by surpise in that the introduction of it and debate on it occurred during spring break. District officials from Boise and West Ada, as well as the Idaho School Boards Association say the bill would have prevented them from keeping knives off campus unless a statewide regulation was written over the summer. They were pushing to have schools excluded from the legislation. They also wanted local districts to have control over their own knife policies.
Additionally, the Idaho Attorney General’s office says the bill conflicted with current state laws that allow schools to regulate knives on campus and during events, reports KTVB.
The proposed legislation was similar to one backed by the National Assembly of Sports Caucuses, which says its mission is to “work with Congress, governors, and state legislatures to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping.”
