Teachers with guns law backfires in Kansas, insurance companies refuse to renew coverage for schools

The new law in Kansas which allows gun owners to carry weapons in public buildings, including schools, puts the school’s insurance at risk, including a major company that insures 85 percent to 90 percent of all Kansas school districts. Insurance companies think that it’s too much of a risk, and say that someone qualified and uniformed should carry the weapons. The NRA fully backed this law regardless of the obvious safety and business concerns.

The EMC Insurance Cos. insures 85 percent to 90 percent of all Kansas school districts and has refused to renew coverage for schools that permit teachers and custodians to carry concealed firearms on their campuses under the new law, which took effect July 1. It’s not a political decision, but a financial one based on the riskier climate it estimates would be created, the insurer said.

“We’ve been writing school business for almost 40 years, and one of the underwriting guidelines we follow for schools is that any on-site armed security should be provided by uniformed, qualified law enforcement officers,” said Mick Lovell, EMC’s vice president for business development. “Our guidelines have not recently changed.

The Kansas Legislature passed the law after the fatal shootings of 20 elementary school children in Newtown, Conn., in December.

The law is similar to one in Utah. Around the country, firearms groups have called on schools to let teachers and staff carry weapons to protect children and prevent mass shootings.

Another insurance company is doing the same in response to the law.

Bob Skow, chief executive officer of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa said, ”It’s one thing to have a trained peace officer with a gun in school; it’s a completely different situation when you have a custodian or a teacher with a gun. That changes the risk of insuring a school and magnifies it considerably.”

datalounge.com