State lawmakers are taking their time with their first opportunity since the Newtown, Conn., gun massacre to debate about weapons in Georgia public schools.

A Bartow County representative wants to allow local school boards to choose administrators who can carry weapons, provided they are properly trained. A House committee decided Tuesday there are several details that need to be ironed out before they vote next week on Rep. Paul Battles' plan.

Battles says he wants to give local officials a new way to protect children without forcing them to spend money on armed officers.

“It’s not really a hard and difficult piece of legislation, but it’s one that in some cases will be the only option some school systems will have.”

Chairman Alan Powell says he has questions about the kind of training that would be required, what kind of weapons would be allowed and effects on schools' liability insurance.

Tags: politics, guns in schools, state lawmakers