ID:Campus Carry Coming

On Tuesday, February 18, the Idaho Senate voted to reform current law to allow those with concealed carry permits to carry their defensive firearms on public campuses.   The bill is SB 1254, and has some interesting exceptions:

"the exception of carrying within student dormitories and residence halls, and within public entertainment facilities, as defined."

I suppose that this is the sort of compromise that was required to obtain the strong legislative majorities that the bill has attracted.  It passed the Senate by a 25-10 majority, and is expected to pass the house, where a similar reform measure was passed in 2011.  From AP, bill sponsor Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, is quoted:

  "It's the Legislature saying you have a constitutional right and you don't lose that right when you step onto a publicly held universality," McKenzie said.

The law also grants immunity from lawsuit to colleges and universities for actions arising from allowing legal possession and storage of firearms on campus.

Senator Jim Rice, R-Caldwell had a memorable quote about the purpose of government:

"We sometimes think our duty is to make everyone safe," Rice said. "It's to preserve liberty. It's not to make a society that's absolutely safe."

The bill seems likely to pass and to be signed into law.  Governor "Butch" Otter has said that he will sign it.

Several other states now allow the carry of weapons on campus, with various restrictions.   No ill effects have been noticed, and it is likely that the trend will continue.

One wonders at the effect on other bizarre university policies.  Only a dozen years ago, it was illegal for my daughter, attending Texas A&M, to possess a pocket knife.    The proposed Idaho law appears to apply only to firearms.

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