LINCOLN- State Sen. Tom Brewer's proposal that would allow Nebraska teachers and other staff to be armed on school property, one piece of a broader movement to expand gun rights, drew dozens of people to the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee on Tuesday.

The bill, made up of three parts, would give local school boards the ability to allow off-duty law enforcement to carry guns onto school property, require the creation of detailed maps of school buildings and grounds, and allow teachers and other staff to be armed, so long as they have taken gun handling and safety training.

Sen. Brewer argued that such a bill is necessary to protect Nebraska's rural schools, which could be many miles away from the nearest law enforcement vehicle or department. The bill drew heaps of opposition testimony, including from a teacher who was present during a school shooting in Omaha 13 years ago. Brewer argued that those opposing the bill weren't being fair to schools in rural Nebraska, many of which "are unable to fill law enforcement positions, let alone resource officer positions."

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