Lawmakers on Tuesday debated the need for “strict scrutiny” for gun rights in the state. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA — Standing in front of several rows of red-shirted “Moms Demand Action” advocates, an Olathe high schooler urged lawmakers not to support legislation that would give gun rights heightened protection in Kansas.
Grace Springer, now a junior at Olathe East High School, spoke about the 2021 shooting at her school, in which a student allegedly shot the school’s assistant principal and school resource officer. All three involved in the incident were injured.
“I was terrified to go anywhere after that,” Springer said, testifying to lawmakers on the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs on Tuesday. “I worried another shooting would happen at any time. Nowhere I went felt safe. …People shouldn’t have to fear going out in public because of the increased accessibility in firearms.”
Springer, along with other gun control advocates, is against HCR 5020 . The proposed constitutional amendment would amend the Kansas Bill of Rights to place possession and use of ammunition, firearm accessories and firearm components under constitutional protection.