House Bill 868

Filed: Jan. 22, 2015

Author: Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van

In 2013, Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, authored HB 1009. Euphemistically titled the Protection of Texas Children Act, it allowed school districts to pick a staff member to become an armed school marshal. Villalba used the Sandy Hook massacre – in which 20 students and six staff members were murdered in a Connecticut grade school – as political cover. It’s hard to wonder what justification will be given to the Teacher’s Protection Act, which, if passed, will give teachers both criminal and civil immunity for killing anyone they perceive as being a threat to themselves or students. It gets better. This bill will even provide a legal defense for killing someone – and that includes students – to protect “property of the school.” Currently, Texas educators are allowed to use only nonlethal force to keep the blackboard eraser safe. Thank goodness Flynn wants to get rid of what is clearly an anti-Second Amendment loophole.

This article appears in February 6 • 2015.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.