State mulls more armed school teachers, off-duty officers

Republican lawmakers have advanced a proposal to expand the number of Tennessee teachers who can carry guns in schools, drawing a divide with Democrats just hours after lawmakers found bipartisan common ground on possibly using off-duty officers to fill school security gaps. The legislation, which passed a House subcommittee Wednesday, would let all school districts decide whether to allow teachers to undergo training by certified private instructors to carry guns in schools, with one armed teacher allowed per 75 students.