You can add David Dewhurst, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, to the lengthening list of state politicians who want to arm public school teachers. Dewhurst, fresh off his November loss to new Senator Ted Cruz, called for implementing state-sponsored gun training programs geared toward teachers during a speech today at the conservative Texas Public Policy Center in Austin. Following a nomination process, Dewhurst explained, teachers would be allowed to carry a gun during classroom instruction.

The rest of his proposal, though light on details, is one of the highest-ranking endorsements for placing guns in the hands of teachers from an elected official since the Newtown shootings. Other state-level leaders — Arizona's Attorney General, a State Representative in Georgia, another Representative in Tennessee — have endorsed similar policies, but none of them enjoy the stature of Dewhurst's office in a state as populous as Texas. That's some serious news for the 64 percent of Americans who say they don't want their teachers bearing arms while trying to teach algebra.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at jtrotter at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
J.K. Trotter