Colleges line up against allowing guns on campuses

By Dave Montgomery
The Fort Worth Star-TelegramÌý

AUSTIN — Texas universities are firing back against a bill that would permit students to carry handguns on campus.

Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, said his bill would be limited to students 21 and older. But campus police chiefs and administrators say the idea of permitting firepower on campus is a potential threat to student safety.

"As one faculty person told me, 'Do you think I want to pass out those F’s and D’s with somebody in the classroom having a gun?’ " said Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth.

Burnam is a member of the House Public Safety Committee, which will consider the legislation at a hearing Monday.

The April 2007 massacre of 32 people at Virginia Tech by a mentally disturbed student ignited a nationwide call for greater safety at colleges. Both sides in the debate over Driver’s bill cite that tragedy in making their case. . .

Organizations representing campus police departments and the more than 40 independent colleges and universities in Texas have registered opposition to the bill.

Texas Christian University, Baylor University, ºìÌÒÓ°ÊÓ Methodist University and the University of Texas System expressed opposition or serious concerns in statements to the Star-Telegram on Friday. . .

"We have serious concerns about allowing concealed weapons on a university campus," ºìÌÒÓ°ÊÓ said in a statement, citing its "long tradition as a weapons-free campus." The statement also noted that ºìÌÒÓ°ÊÓ hosts frequent events with "large numbers of children in attendance."Ìý

.

# # #

Ìý