Faculty and staff on college and university campuses in Arkansas may be able to carry concealed weapons soon, but the students still will not be able to defend themselves.
The Arkansas House passed House Bill 1243, which would allow faculty and staff on college and university campuses to carry concealed weapons. However, the law excludes anyone, “enrolled as a full-time student at the university, college, or community college.”
Arkansas State Rep. Charlie Collins (R- Fayetteville) introduced the bill that passed by a vote of 70-11 in the Republican-controlled House.
“Killers choose our university campuses frequently to murder our loved ones,” representative Collins said, according to Campusreform.org. “The bad guys know that the good guys aren’t going to have a weapon and so one of the things that we can do to protect our loved ones is to allow concealed carry on campus.”
Now, the Republican-controlled Senate must pass it before it lands on the desk of Governor Mike Beebe (D-AR).
The Democratic governor indicated at a press conference Friday that he would sign it into law now that it was amended to include an opt-out clause for all institutions, not only private ones, according to Arkansas Business.
Arkansas would become the 23rd state in the U.S. to legalize the right for faculty and staff to carry concealed weapons on college and university campuses if Gov. Beebe signs HB 1243.
About Molly C. Braswell
