With key deadline looming, House set to debate ‘campus carry’ proposal

[Harry]

Students make their way around campus at UNT in Denton, on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)

AUSTIN A factious measure to allow the licensed concealed carrying of handguns in most public university buildings is scheduled for debate in the House on Tuesday, the last day for the lower chamber to give initial passage to major legislation.

The House debate on so-called campus carry is expected to be lengthy and feature fierce opposition from the Democratic minority. And the discussion is a long time coming, given that the Senate passed the measure a full two months ago.

Supporters, touting Second Amendment rights, have said campus carry would aid in personal protection. Opponents, including most university leaders, have cited safety concerns to argue that guns shouldnt be injected into the complex campus environment.

Tuesdays debate will be just the latest go-round for campus carry in the House, which passed a similar measure in 2013.

But that bill from two years ago gave state colleges and universities the ability to opt out of having campus carry. In the current proposed legislation, only private universities would have the ability to ignore the campus carry mandate.

There had been some question if the House would have a full debate this year on campus carry. But some Republican senators backed down on an idea to attach the measure to another gun proposal, when House leadership pledged to bring campus carry to the floor.

The ball is firmly in the court of our friends in the House, Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, said last week. We want to see something good happen there.

Existing law already allows Texans with a concealed handgun license to carry their firearms onto university grounds. But the new legislation would extend that privilege into most university buildings, such as dorms, classrooms and cafeterias.

Under the proposal, handguns still wouldnt be allowed in areas on campus where they are otherwise currently banned. Those areas include hospitals, bars and sporting events. And schools would be able to set rules on how firearms are stored in dormitories.

Around 841,500 Texans currently have a concealed handgun license. Thats about 5 percent of Texans who are 21 or older the age requirement to get such a license for Texans who are not active or former members of the armed services.

A Dallas Morning News analysis found that in part because of the age restriction, only a small fraction of college students would likely carry on campus.

A key element of Tuesdays debate is expected to be the view of University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven, the retired Navy admiral famous for overseeing the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

McRavens opposition to campus carry resurfaced this week, as Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, released a letter from McRaven in which he outlined concerns that the cost of implementing the idea might require tuition hikes and that the proposal would harm faculty recruitment.

Read more: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/05/with-key-deadline-looming-house-set-to-debate-campus-carry-proposal.html/

[Harry]

I don't know what everyone's opinion is on this but I think allowing everyone to carry handguns is a BIG MISTAKE! It will be the Wild West part 2.

[Army of Dad]

I don't know what everyone's opinion is on this but I think allowing everyone to carry handguns is a BIG MISTAKE! It will be the Wild West part 2.

They said the same thing when CHLs were being debated the first time. That's was about as accurate as a History channel mini series. The Wild West and blood in the streets lines have been rolled out time and again and have never been the case.

Not only do CHL holders commit crimes at a lower rate than the general public, but they commit crimes at a lower rate than police officers. They also tend to be better shots than police (though the sample size is small).

[FirefightnRick]

It will be the Wild West part 2.

No it wouldn't.

Rick

[forevereagle]

What problem is this supposed to solve? If it is the school shooting issue, I don't think that this will do anything to change that. I don't think that it will make universities the wild west, but I just don't see why this is a good idea.

[GreenMachine]

Our students are too damn lazy to go vote for items they believe are important, doubt they will make the effort to do the steps to obtain a CHL.