KS Republican attorney general candidates say arming teachers would protect schools

The three Republican candidates for Kansas attorney general all favor arming teachers to better protect schools from mass shootings.

Questions about limitations on gun ownership and whether teachers should carry firearms came up Friday during a Q&A with the three candidates — former Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi and state Sen. Kellie Warren — at the Wichita Pachyderm Club meeting at the Ruffin Building in downtown Wichita. More than 90 people, including local and state officials, attended.

The questions come after 19 students and two teachers were killed at an elementary school last month in Uvalde, Texas, where the shooter used an AR-style weapon.

The Republican candidates said they don’t think infringing on the Second Amendment is the solution to the rising number of active shooter incidents playing out across the country. All three said they are members of the National Rifle Association. Democratic attorney general candidate Chris Mann’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email for comment.

State law permits districts to allow teachers to carry a gun. Kobach said no school district in the state has given teachers the right to do so. Kansas State Department of Education spokesperson Denise Kahler said she was not able to confirm that Friday afternoon.

Mattivi said it’s the “left-leaning” leaders in schools who have kept teachers from being able to carry.

“They are not people who are going to support having individuals within the school system carry firearms,” he said. “They are effecting their political agenda and imposing it on the rest of us.”

Kobach said the state should require schools to allow teachers who can pass the requirements to conceal carry the ability to do so.

“The threat to our kids is too significant and schools are soft targets. That’s the reason why these insane killers target schools is because nobody in there has a gun,” he said.

Representatives from a few statewide educational groups did not immediately return calls from the Eagle. United Teachers of Wichita president Brent Lewis would not answer if his teachers were in favor of carrying guns.

“We look to the school district to secure our buildings and law enforcement to respond to any threats of any serious nature,” he said.

The candidates also mentioned other options to improve school safety — more secure entryways and using armed guards. All three talked about enforcing current laws rather than adding new gun laws.

Warren partly blamed the shootings on mental health problems aggravated by government lockdowns and closures during the pandemic.

“For generations to come, for years to come, we will not know the government impact on children and we need to watch out for that,” she said.

The candidates all opposed gun restrictions based on the Second Amendment, which allows the right to carry a gun.

Both Kobach and Mattivi said they wouldn’t limit magazine capacity or types of guns. Kobach, a father of five daughters, said his daughters all try to shoot their first deer when they turn 7. His youngest daughter will have her shot this fall.

“The weapon we choose is an AR-platform rifle,” he said. ‘Why? That’s a weapon of war, Kris?’ No it’s not … the AR-platform is designed to reduce recoil and if you are having a woman or a child or someone who’s not as large of stature shooting, it’s actually an excellent platform rifle for hunting as well if you like to shoot coyotes, I do that as well.’”

Kobach had four guns stolen from his vehicle at a Wichita hotel back in 2020.

Mattivi said an armed society is a safe one.

“There’s a saying that an armed society is a polite society,” he said. “An armed society is a safe society. In my view the more capable, qualified, mentally sound people carrying firearms the safer we all are.”

Active shooter incidents are on the rise in the U.S., jumping nearly 53% in 2021 and 33 percent in 2020, according to the FBI. Two of the incidents in 2021 happened at a school.

The candidates also spoke about why they would be the best choice — and why their opponents wouldn’t.

Warren said Kobach was a bad choice because he has a history of losing elections, including the 2018 gubernatorial race to Laura Kelly. Warren said she’s been helping fight against Democratic overstep, including the mask and vaccine requirement, in the state as a senator.

Kobach, who was tapped to look into voter fraud by former U.S. President Donald Trump, called the 2018 loss to Kelly a bloodbath year of losses for Republicans across the country. Kobach said he was the American Civil Liberties Union’s worst enemy and a person who has battled against multiple state supreme courts.

“We don’t need a real estate attorney, we need an attorney who can take the ACLU to task,” he said while taking a dig at Warren.

Mattivi said he has more endorsements from law enforcement than any of his opponents.

Mattivi also said he had never run for officer before and didn’t plan to this time. He said Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett implored him to, saying Kansas needs an attorney and not a politician.

He said Kobach and Warren would just use the position as a springboard to other offices.

“Kansas doesn’t need another career politician, and we certainly don’t need one in the AG’s office,” he said.

The primary election is Aug. 2. The winner of the GOP primary will face Mann in November.

This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 7:43 PM.