PARKERSBURG - Local delegates have introduced legislation to help maintain the Parkersburg South High School Patriot's right to bear arms.
Two pieces of legislation - House Bill 4128 and Senate Bill 327 - seek to exempt the mascot's rifle from the state Safe Schools Act, which bans all firearms from school campuses.
Delegate Dan Poling, D-Wood, said officials were contacted via letter by Parkersburg South administrators asking for help with the issue. It is unclear if a specific incident led to the request. Parkersburg South Principal Tom Eschbacher could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
"We got a letter from PSHS making us aware of the situation, wanting to know if we could introduce legislation to exempt the Patriot," Poling said. "I think there are other mascots this would affect, and I hope the committee takes some time to look around and see what other schools might need mentioned.
State code 61-7-11a: Dangerous Weapons, also known as the state's "Safe Schools Act," prohibits all weapons on school grounds, except for a handful of cases. Those exceptions include law enforcement officers, unloaded weapons being auctioned and the West Virginia University Mountaineer, who carries a rifle as part of his uniform.
"The Mountaineer is already named in there," Poling said. "We think it should be extended to other mascots who have rifles as part of their uniforms."
The House bill to add the Patriot to the list of exceptions is sponsored by Delegates Poling; John Ellem, R-Wood; Tom Azinger, R-Wood; Bill Anderson, R-Wood; and Anna Border, R-Wood.
State Sen. David Nohe, R-Wood, sponsored the Senate bill, which mirrors the House bill.
Mascots "create a very positive sense of school spirit, and we try to get students to rally around things that are positive," Nohe said Wednesday. "That's what we hope to do in this bill, to protect all of the schools that have mascots like that from having their uniforms limited and changed."
Nohe said the wording of the Safe Schools Act leaves little wiggle room, causing issues for schools should people suddenly decide they don't like the rifles being part of the mascot uniforms.
"I think we need to bring a little common sense to this," Nohe said.
Poling said he believes both bills will find support in the state Legislature.
"I think most people will be supportive of it, so long as we don't do anything to the Safe Schools Act itself," he said.
"Right now everyone I've talked to is supportive," Nohe said.
Both bills have gone to their respective committees for consideration.
