ID:Campus Carry Reform Waits on Governor's Signature

Idaho House representatives voted to approve SB 1254 on March 6th by a healthy 50-19 margin.  The bill was approved in the Senate 25-10, on 18 February..  Governor Butch Otter has said that he will sign the bill.  Public university administrators had strongly objected to the legislature reclaiming the power to restrict the right to bear arms from them and restoring a limited version of the right.  Private universities were not affected.  The right to limit those who may be on private property is a fundamental part of what private property is.    If an entity cannot restrict who is allowed on their property, the property clearly does not belong to them.

Scores of students had shown up at the legislature to lobby against the bill.   This action was not unexpected, given the hostility of the University administrators to second amendment rights and a reduction of their power.   The New York Times published an absurd op-ed against the bill, which was taken apart by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

The administrators of Idaho's public universities are expected to lobby Governor Otter to veto the bill.  While that seems unlikely, the ability of the old media to bully governors and to apply pressure is considerable, as noted in the veto of the religious freedom bill by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.   

No significant problems have been noted at several other states that have reformed their campus carry laws and administrative restrictions over the last decade.

While this bill does not remove all restrictions from the right to bear arms on campus, it is an incremental step in restoring those rights.   An individual who wishes to legally carry a concealed weapon on campus will have to obtain an Idaho enhanced concealed carry permit, and they will not be allowed to carry concealed weapons in residence halls or public entertainment facility as defined below:

"Public entertainment facility" means an arena, stadium, am-
phitheater, auditorium, theater or similar facility with a seat-
ing capacity of at least one thousand (1,000) persons that is owned
or operated by the board of regents of the university of Idaho,

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


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