Lawmakers File Concealed Weapons on Campus Bill

By Andrew Roush in Promote & Protect, Special on January 18, 2013 at 4:57 pm | No Comments

Members of the Texas Senate have filed a bill that would allow licensed gun owners to carry their weapons inside buildings on college campuses.

Texas university buildings are currently gun-free zones, but that may change if legislation filed by 13 state senators passes the Texas Legislature.

Senate Bill 182, authored by Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury), would allow concealed-carry permit holders to carry firearms inside of campus buildings (those with concealed licenses can presently carry on campuses) at both public and private universities in Texas. The bill includes exceptions for hospitals and primary and secondary schools that may be on college campuses.

Two Texas Exes, Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler), BBA ’81, and Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown), BS ’92, co-authored the measure. Similar legislation has failed in two previous sessions of the Legislature. UT president Bill Powers opposed both previous bills. Speaking to the Daily Texan Thursday, UT spokesperson Gary Susswein reiterated Powers’ opposition to concealed weapons at UT-Austin.

Editor’s Note: The Texas Exes does not have a position on this issue.

Photo courtesy mtsofan via Flickr Creative Commons.

Tags: Brian Birdwell, concealed carry, firearms, guns on campus, texas legislature, UT president Bill Powers