Kansas lawmakers are considering legislation that would hold schools liable for refusing to allow teachers to be armed for defense of themselves and their students.

The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Blake Carpenter (R-Derby), who contends that arming teachers would “save lives.”

Fox News reports Kansas that school districts have been allowed to arm teachers since 2013, but various districts around the state have refused to let teachers carry guns. Carpenter sees his legislation as a way to correct this by putting districts on notice that they will be liable for lack of protection when an attack occurs.

He said, “It is not, if our kids will be killed. It is, when will they be killed and what are we doing to prevent it?”

Carpenter spoke of how long it takes police to respond to 911 calls in the more rural parts of the state, and stressed that teachers are on the spot to act immediately should an attack unfold. President Trump made a similar point when he said first responders are “5 to 8 minutes away” but armed teachers can shoot sickos “immediately.”

Kansas Democrats are opposed to arming teachers for school safety. And Kansas Association of School Boards lobbyist Mark Tallman claims insurance costs would rise if teachers are carrying guns for use in keeping children safe.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.