New bill would put armed officers on school campuses

A new proposal from a southern California Republican would require all schools in the state to have at least one armed officer on campus. 

Assembly Bill 3038, authored by Asm. Bill Essayli (R–Corona), would require the officers, which would be called school resource officers. 

Driving the news: The aim of the bill is to prevent school shootings, with Essayli emphasizing the need for “good guys and girls with guns” to act and stop such incidents.

• Along with AB 3038, Essayli also introduced two other bills involving public safety. 
• The first, AB 3037, would restore sentencing enhancements for firearms. 
• The second, AB 3039, would allow judges to remove a juror for having anti-law enforcement bias. 

What they’re saying: “California has experienced 96 school shootings between 2018 and 2023,” Essayli said at a news conference. “If we want to get serious about preventing school shootings and stopping them before they can happen, we need good guys and girls with guns, ready to act.”