Students and employees would be allowed to carry licensed, concealed weapons
The Texas state senate has approved a bill allowing university students and employees to carry concealed weapons on campus, as long as they have the neccesary permits.
The controversial legislation, which passed 19-12 yesterday, would allow college students who are at least 21 years old to bring their weapons into buildings at state universities. University hospitals and athletics facilities would remain off limits, and private universities would retain the option of banning firearms.
Sen. Jeff Wentworth, the Republican state senator who introduced the bill said he did so because of the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech, where he said victims were “picked off like sitting ducks.”
Katie Kasprzak, a recent graduate of Texas State University, testified in favor of the bill before legislative committees.
The bill, which has been widely opposed by university administrators, faces an uncertain future in the state’s house of representatives, where the bill died last week when lawmakers ran out of time.