Texas lawmakers approve bill to allow guns on college campuses
|
Version 0 of 1. Texas lawmakers have approved a bill that allows license holders to carry concealed firearms in most college and university buildings in the state. The governor is expected to allow the bill to become law. The approval comes after fierce opposition from college and university leaders and from outnumbered Texas Democrats. The regulation will allow concealed-carry permit holders, or CHL licensees, in the state to carry loaded firearms on university and college campuses. Schools may create gun-free zones, but establishing such provisions is complex at best. Many Democrats and advocacy groups have fought so-called “campus carry” legislation for years in the Texas legislature. At least one group, the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, was established solely to lobby against such laws. “We find it disheartening that many in the legislature continue to turn a deaf ear to the wishes of higher education officials, faculty, students, parents and campus law enforcement, who together made it crystal clear that they didn’t want guns on college campuses,” Andy Pelosi, executive director of the campaign, said in a statement following the law’s approval Sunday night. According to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, which opposes such legislation, at least 370 colleges in 42 states have signed onto the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus’ lobbying effort. AASCU & the higher ed community stand united against guns on campus. Here's why: http://t.co/6XKUkEzgDq @KeepGunsoffCamp @everytown #txlege Nevertheless, despite college administrators’ concerns that allowing more guns on campus would stifle debate in classrooms and could lead to more successful suicide attempts, Republican legislators pushed through the “Campus Personal Protection Act”. “These locations are currently classified as ‘gun-free zones,’ but in reality, they are simply places where CHLs are rendered defenseless against criminals under current law,” wrote the National Rifle Association in late March, in lobbying for the legislation. The pro-gun lobby argued that high-profile shootings on college campuses could have been stopped by “law-abiding” gun owners. Campus Personal Protection Act (#SB11) headed to @GregAbbott_TX's desk. Thank you @AllenFletcher & #txlege for protecting citizens' rights. Some lawmakers in other states have argued that allowing guns on campus could reduce campus sexual assaults, a claim most anti-sexual assault advocates disavow. During hearings, other Texas lawmakers pointed out that loopholes in the state’s concealed-carry permitting standards could allow less-than-law-abiding licensees to carry as well. So-called reciprocity agreements allow Texans to transfer their concealed carry permit from another state, such as Kansas, which this year voted to do away with standards for issuing concealed carry permits. The bill’s success last week shocked anti-gun advocates, who expected it to die in the House. As a midnight deadline to move the bill forward approached Wednesday night, those opposed to the bill added more than 100 amendments, in an effort to run out the clock on the legislation. But with about 20 minutes until the deadline, representatives voted to suspend normal procedure for considering amendments, and took an up or down vote. The legislation succeeded in the House. “Oh my God, we were floored,” said Julie Gavran, western director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, one day after the vote. “We had over 100 amendments filed, and you know the bill was supposed to die at midnight when the clock ran out.” One of the 52 Democratic lawmakers in Texas’ House of Representatives was less surprised. “You know, the simple truth is there are 98 Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives; they can pretty much do anything, anytime, anywhere,” said Democratic San Antonio representative Trey Martinez Fischer. “If Republicans in Texas wanted to celebrate Christmas in the month of April, they have the votes.” The bill later passed in the Senate after going to conference, where five lawmakers each from the House and Senate reconcile changes in a law. Republican governor Greg Abbott is expected to allow the legislation to pass into law. |