By Anna Claire Vollers & John Sharp

Alabama lawmakers need to protect "our ladies" and to do that, they should not arm teachers because most are women, argued State Rep. Harry Shiver, R-Stockton, this morning.

Most women, and women teachers in particular, "are scared of guns," and should not be expected to carry them in classrooms, he said.

Shiver, in comments to AL.com, echoed the statements he made during this morning's Public Safety Committee hearing in which he said he wanted to protect women teachers.

"I'm not saying all (women), but in most schools, women are (the majority) of the teachers," Shiver told AL.com. "Some of them just don't want to (be trained to possess firearms). If they want to, then that's good. But most of them don't want to learn how to shoot like that and carry a gun."

Shiver was discussing a bill, sponsored by Rep. Will Ainsworth R-Guntersville, that would allow school systems to designate trained teachers and administrators to carry guns on school campuses.

Shiver is a retired physical education teacher and coach of 32 years in Bay Minette. He's been a vocal opponent of the bill, which now heads to the House after receiving a favorable report in committee. He told AL.com he will likely abstain from voting on it.

"I've heard ... that 75 percent of Republicans support it, but I was there live and in person and I know what it is like in the schools," said Shiver. "Most women wouldn't like to be put in that position. I know from South Alabama, they wouldn't."

Shiver said teachers are not qualified to interject themselves into a "hot" situation in which law enforcement are called to an active shooter situation.

The Public Safety Committee this morning approved Ainsworth's bill to arm teachers.

Shiver also voiced a more troubling objection to the plan to arm teachers, namely that the plan could lead to police mistakenly shooting teachers if there were ever a school shooting.

Shiver said he's had family members who were or currently are highway patrolmen. They have told him "When the highway patrolman bursts onto a site like that, they shoot the first one holding the gun out. They aren't told that person is qualified (to carry a firearm). They don't know."

Mike Cason contributed to this report.