New lawmaker files guns on campus bill

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A newly elected Texas state lawmaker is paving the way for the upcoming legislative session’s debate over guns on campus. Rep.-elect David Simpson , R-Longview, filed House Bill 86 this week, which would allow college students who have a concealed carry license to bring their guns to school.

This bill is similar to legislation filed by Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, and Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, in the previous session. That legislation passed in the Senate but failed to make it through the House.

In the wake up this fall’s shooting at the University of Texas, Driver went before the House Public Safety Committee to discuss bringing such legislation up again.

Simpson said he wants to file a substitute to his bill to allow private universities and colleges to opt out of the campus-carry law. Otherwise, any university or college in Texas could not stop “license holders from carrying handguns on the campus.”

However, students would not be able to store handguns in their dorm rooms. Schools would not be held liable for any damages caused by the guns. If it passes, the law would go into effect Sept. 1, 2011.

In 2009, masses of university students and faculty from across the state gathered at the Capitol to march in opposition of the last legislative effort to get guns on campus.

“I got involved in this because it frustrated me to hear [the bills’ proponents] politicize our tragedy, said UT graduate student and Student Government Representative John Woods. Woods graduated from Virginia Tech three weeks after losing his girlfriend in that school’s 2007 shooting. “The survivors have said guns would not have helped, that it was way too chaotic, and that it happened to quickly. These are experts.”

Students for Conceal Carry on Campus, which supported the previous legislation, told KXAN on Wednesday it had not yet decided to throw its support behind Simpson’s proposal. The group said it was working with other lawmakers on similar efforts and wanted to wait to see what happens with their proposals before doing anything.

UT’s faculty advisory council, student government, and the graduate student assembly passed resolutions against the 2009 legislation. After this year’s shooting at UT, President Bill Powers reiterated his opposition, telling KXAN, “We want to keep guns off of our campus.”

UT student Colton Tooley, 19, opened fire inside the campus library on Sept. 28. No students were harmed in the incident, though Tooley fatally shot himself.