South Dakota Gov. Dennis Dauggard has signed a bill that will allow teachers to carry guns in school, making his state the first to enact such a law since the horrible tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.

The bill, signed Friday, was pushed by gun-rights supporters who say arming teachers would help prevent tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary.  The Sandy Hook tragedy left 20 students and six educators dead.

The law will go into effect July 1, and will allow school districts to arm teachers and other personnel.  Supporters say the measure is necessary because not all school districts have the financial resources to hire professional law enforcement officers to be in their schools.

However, the measure has prompted intense debate, as several representatives of school boards and teachers strongly oppose the bill.  They claim the measure would make schools more dangerous, lead to accidental shootings and put guns in the hands of people who are not adequately trained to shoot in emergency situations.

The issue of placing guns in schools has been hotly debated across the nation.  The National Rifle Association proposed installing armed officers or guards in schools across America just days after the Newtown shooting.

Democrats on Capitol Hill in Washington have moved ahead on gun-control legislation, and have introduced an anti-trafficking measure that passed out of Senate committee Thursday.  At the State level, however, Republican-led states have tried to enhance gun-rights protection.

The debate is sure to continue for years, if not decades into the future, but one thing is agreed on by everyone: we must keep our children safe.