"Superintendent, President and Members of the Board,
I am here to ask that the Board vote to direct your delegate to the Illinois Association of School Boards to vote to approve Resolution 2 at the 2020 Delegate Assembly meeting. Resolution 2 proposes that the IASB support and advocate for legislation requiring child safe gun storage if anyone under the age of 18 might have access to the firearm without permission. Current laws apply only when a person under the age of 14 may have access to the firearm.
The IASB Resolutions Committee has recommended "do not adopt" stating: "The vast majority of IASB position statements deal directly with issues that happen inside of a school district." I believe that school districts should be concerned with preventing students from bringing guns into schools.
In most school shootings, the person using the gun obtained the gun from family, a friend or relative who left the gun unsecured. A law that raises the minimum age from 14 to 18 could reduce the potential for school age children to access guns.
Gun Violence Prevention groups across the state will be working to implement stronger safe gun storage laws during the next legislative session. The support of the IASB is important. Let's work together to reduce the likelihood of access to weapons without permission, for our children under age 18."
