If passed, firearms could be allowed on college campuses

A bill is making its way through the state legislature that might allow college students to carry concealed weapons on campus.

 
Senate Bill 303, also known as the Gun Bill, passed the Senate two weeks ago and is expected to pass the House of Representatives. If the Gun Bill passes, Louisiana will have the strongest pro-gun laws in the nation. Some representatives are weary of this bill because of the broad language used by the bill’s author, Sen. Neil Riser.

The bill would propose a constitutional amendment to be voted on by the people of Louisiana. Some fear that the new amendment would allow for concealed weapons to be carried on a college campus.

 
“I have vehemently opposed bills like this because I don’t like the idea of guns being on college campuses,” said Rep. Charles Chaney. “This bill is so broad in its intended application that it may need some vetting.”

Chaney said this bill is tricky because of the ballot language that is used and because it is being discussed as a constitutional amendment and not just a law.  Chaney said if the amendment gets through the legislature, then it is a “slam dunk” on getting passed by the people in referendum.

 
Chaney also said if the bill will allow concealed weapons on college campuses, then it will be easy for him to say no to the bill.

 
“What I normally do on a bill like this that has this many questions in my mind is I go to the attorney and start asking questions,” Chaney said.

 
Josh Dean, a political science major from Baskin, said he doesn’t see why students cannot carry guns on campus anyway. He said licensed people should be allowed to carry a weapon for self-protection.

“I don’t see how college campuses are any different than anywhere else,” Dean said.  “I don’t see how crossing some imaginary line from the city of Monroe to ULM causes me not to be able to carry a concealed weapon.”

 
He said people with concealed- carry permits are not going to go out looking for a school shooter. Instead, they would stay and protect themselves and their classmates if a shooter came into that classroom.

 
“There’s this idea that it will become like the wild, wild west, but the reason the west was so wild was because a lot of towns forbade the owning of firearms. So the only people with guns were the wild ones,” Dean said.  “I’m totally in favor of this bill.”