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Education Chief: Leave Gun Decisions to Districts

Nathan Bernier/KUT News
Education Commissioner Michael Williams wants school districts to have some say over who carries guns on campuses.

As Texas lawmakers have discussed adding more armed guards to campuses or training staff members to carry weapons, Education Commissioner Michael Williams told the Texas Tribune that it’s a good discussion for lawmakers to have, but he would like to see some local discretion.

“It should be district by district,” Williams said. “We ought not from the state level impose upon districts and demand that districts provide that permission.”

In the Austin school district, every high school and middle school campus already has an armed district police officer. There are rotating guards at elementary schools.

Here's Williams' interview with the Tribune:

Laura first joined the KUT team in April 2012. She now works for the statewide program Texas Standard as a reporter and producer. Laura came to KUT from the world of television news. She has worn many different hats as an anchor, reporter and producer at TV stations in Austin, Amarillo and Toledo, OH. Laura is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, a triathlete and enjoys travel, film and a good beer. She enjoys spending time with her husband and pets.