Arizona House Passes Bill Allowing Guns On Campuses

April 7, 2011 11:57:11 PM

PHOENIX, April 7 (Reuters) - The Arizona House on Thursday approved a landmark bill allowing guns on campuses, making it only the second state in the nation to allow firearms to be carried at colleges and universities.

The Republican-led House voted 33 to 24 to allow firearms to be carried in the open or concealed in public rights of way, such as campus streets and roadways.

"We're allowing people to defend themselves," said Rep. David Gowan Sr., a Republican, who voted for the bill.

"The purpose of carrying a gun with you is to defend yourself against that aggressor," he added.

The measure now goes to Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer. She has not said if she will sign it into law but has been a strong gun-rights advocate in the past.

If the measure is enacted, Arizona would join Utah as the only states to specifically allow such gun rights. Utah goes one step further, allowing firearms inside campus buildings.

The move comes as opponents and supporters face off across the country over gun laws, with nine states this year seeking to broaden citizens' rights to tote firearms on campuses.

Supporters of Arizona's bill argue that a person's constitutional right to bear arms should not be taken away just because he or she is on a campus. They claim that allowing guns there could save lives in the event of a campus shooting.

But the bill faced widespread opposition from college and university administrators, faculty and law enforcement officials.

Opponents claimed it would put campus police at a dangerous disadvantage in trying to prevent campus shootings.

Faculty groups at the state's three universities passed resolutions against the bill.

Rep. Steve Farley, a Democrat, said the idea strikes at the heart of higher education and will make it hard to attract top-flight faculty and staff.

"I don't believe this is a good move for us," he told legislators during the vote. "I think it compromises the key core goal of our universities ... (to) have a free and unintimidating exchange of ideas."

Other lawmakers questioned the bill because it does not specifically define what constitutes public rights of way. They said a legal challenge is likely. (Reporting by David Schwartz; Editing by Tim Gaynor and Ellen Wulfhorst)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[GunVictimsAction]

03:54 AM on 04/14/2011

One of the dumbest ideas to be passed. A bunch of drunk college kids with guns! Are we that stupid for money?

[JimInHouston]

10:44 AM on 04/14/2011

"One of the dumbest ideas to be passed. A bunch of drunk college kids with guns!"

It's even dumber to mis-state the legislation.

[GunVictimsAction]

03:52 AM on 04/14/2011

It is striking for example that Arizona's response to the tragic Tucson massacre has been to pass a bill in the House (likely to pass in the Senate and be signed by the Governor) to allow guns on college campuses. This is something that no one thinking clearly could possibly endorse and over 80% of the people on campuses (one of the safest places in America) overwhelmingly oppose. . The people who are not on campus in their zeal to sell more guns and to further their misguided (and disproven) idea that carrying a gun makes one safer has caused passage of this bill. This is a result of the NRA and gun lobby in Arizona. The fact is that no one carrying a gun, concealed or open, can realistically defend themselves against an attacker because, as the President Regan shooting showed, and as numerous incidents where armed police are murdered show, the element of surprise always trumps the gun carrier ‘s chance of defending themselves.

To oppose and defeat such irresponsible — and dangerous—legislation, we need to add the economic lever that our coalition of 14 million gun victims, survivors families, friends and many of the 100 million Americans that want sane gun laws can effect. We can and will do it.

[fredfromsj]

05:29 PM on 04/11/2011

I went to college as a 17 year old and I can tell you that I was not mature enough to handle the challenges of college. Can't imagine sending my daughter to school to Arizona or Utah...

[OdinsEye]

09:14 PM on 04/11/2011

At 17 you would not be able to carry a firearm.

[fredfromsj]

05:23 PM on 04/11/2011

Students in Arizona will all have better grades, knowing that their gun will make sure of that....

[JimInHouston]

06:01 PM on 04/11/2011

"Students in Arizona will all have better grades, knowing that their gun will make sure of that.... "

Not if their professors are carrying too...

[Old Jarhead]

08:19 PM on 04/11/2011

Did you even read the story? Weapons will not be allowed in buildings, only on public rights of way. That means roads and sidewalks. That same concealed carry on campus' has been legal in TX for years now, and not a single problem with legal concealed carry.

[Grumpy Man]

02:21 PM on 04/11/2011

I fully support the right of any particular university to keep guns off of campus... IF and WHEN they accept complete physical responsibility and civil liability for my safety while I'm on campus AND while I'm traveling to and from campus. The "to and from" part comes from the fact that if/when I return to school, I'd be living off campus. Since I can't store a weapon in my vehicle while "on campus" I'd have to leave it at home. Additionally, I'm not in favor of storing firearms in unattended vehicles because they're too easily stolen.

With the VERY high and under-reported incidents of sexual assaults that happen on campus I'm often leery of men who speak out against citizens (half of which are female) acting in their best interest by choosing to arm themselves defensively. Why do these guys want so badly for women to remain defenseless???

[chubber]

02:39 AM on 04/11/2011

We can either all have guns or have none at all. Which one sounds better?

[RevJimIII]

04:28 PM on 04/11/2011

Well none at all is not an option, we already have the right to keep and bear arms as long as we do not engage in violence... why not concentrate on what causes violence and work on that..?

[spkninglsh]

01:53 AM on 04/11/2011

One last one...student and parent resource. List of the campuses that are armed:

http://www.armedcampuses.org/

[TaiTai]

07:37 AM on 04/11/2011

Good to know. Thanks for passing that along.

[spkninglsh]

01:22 AM on 04/11/2011

Who funds concealed campus? I could not find that information on their website.

[phoenix182]

04:57 PM on 04/11/2011

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus? Entirely donation based (and it ain't much, let me tell you).

[spkninglsh]

01:10 AM on 04/11/2011

And the students already have one..good for them!
http://www.studentsforgunfreeschools.org/

[spkninglsh]

01:08 AM on 04/11/2011

Arguing with people that are for this law leads nowhere. What people opposing guns on campus need to do is to make sure students and their parents know what individual college policies are, and where pro gun organizations like concealed campus are active. Students opposed to these policies would be well served by creating their own campus activist organizations...they could probably get support from the Brady Center. Social and financial disapprobation can be very persuasive to financial institutions.

[TaiTai]

01:23 AM on 04/11/2011

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is another organization that may be willing to work with students.

[spkninglsh]

01:50 AM on 04/11/2011

Thanks! They seem more well organized. Here's a list of colleges and universities that have joined keepgunsoffcampus.org

http://www.keepgunsoffcampus.org/list.html

http://www.csgv.org

[lib4life19]

05:12 PM on 04/11/2011

As a gun supporter, I think this is a good idea, this is how it's supposed to work. If you don't like the way an organization is handling itself, you don't use the organization. You don't need to pass laws for issues like concealed carry, because the activity of carrying a gun does not harm or infringe on anyone's rights. Using the weapon might harm someone, but there are already suitable laws for that. The best thing to do is to identify the schools that allow guns and if you don't like, go somewhere else.

[spkninglsh]

12:11 AM on 04/11/2011

Data doesn't count with these folks. Everything is propaganda, biased or contested. It's like talking with the birthers.

[BruntLIVE]

10:40 PM on 04/10/2011

First person to be shot? Black male from a person saying he "looked" aggressive.

[Old Jarhead]

10:51 PM on 04/10/2011

Stereotype much, or just a trying to use a racist brush to paint those of us who believe this may be the right thing to do. Flagged.

[spkninglsh]

03:38 PM on 04/10/2011

This will end well.

[JimInHouston]

04:23 PM on 04/10/2011

"This will end well. "

Why? Cite data, including experiences in states where concealed carry is ALREADY allowed on campuses.

[spkninglsh]

04:52 PM on 04/10/2011

It doesn't matter for you Jim. If someone goes nuts and starts shooting on campus, people who support this law will say:

1. It's good that the other students were armed...more of them should be.
2. Think of all the incidents like this were prevented by students carrying guns (incidents that there will be no data on).

See...you win no matter what happens!

[MikeyJaii]

02:20 PM on 04/10/2011

Time for these states to break world record.

[TaiTai]

12:41 PM on 04/10/2011

That makes 2 states where I would never allow my kid to go to college.

[OdinsEye]

06:19 PM on 04/10/2011

If they are 18 or older, you don't have a lot of legal say in the matter.

[DeuxExMachina]

06:28 PM on 04/10/2011

Depends on where you reside. I presume if you live outside of the state where those universities are the student may have to depend on his/her parents for part or whole of the fees and other expenses.

[spkninglsh]

11:59 PM on 04/10/2011

Good luck with the tuition.