After being extinguished in the Senate last year, the legislation to allow concealed weapons on college campuses reignited in Tallahassee on Wednesday, where it was heard in both Senate and House committees.
The legislation would allow concealed carry permit holders 21 and older to carry their firearms on campus. The bill would apply to all public colleges and universities across the state.
The bills are sponsored by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, in the Senate and Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, in the House.
Both bills passed in their respective committees, but not without heated testimony from concerned students, faculty and gun rights advocates from across the state.
Supporters of the bill believe passing the bill would help protect college students, particularly women, against violent crimes on college campuses. They say by creating "gun free zones," college campuses are inviting criminals and wrongdoers to commit violent acts and sexual assaults since they know no one will have a gun to protect themselves.
"Most of those people have more training than our law enforcement officers," said Rep. Steube on CCW permit holders. "I don't believe that our constitutional right to defend ourselves and others should be stripped ... on a college campus."
Others agreed with Steube, saying the state was taking away CCW permit holders’ Second Amendment rights.
"These people have a right to defend themselves ... most Floridians support the right to bear arms,” said Eric Friday, gun rights attorney for Florida Carry.
Students from colleges across the state gathered both in support and opposition of the legislation. Florida State University grad student Rebekah Hargrove dispelled the notions that implementing the law would be costly to state universities.
“This bill costs nothing,” she said, also saying that adding options like metal detectors on campuses were what would end up costing colleges the most money.
Some students tearfully described the anguish legalizing the measure would cause for a vast majority of college students, most of whom are under the age of 21. School shootings hit close to home particularly for students at Florida State University, where a 2014 library shooting left three wounded and one dead.
“Do they want to allow all these people to carry [guns] and have that kind of power over me?” asked Kaitlyn Hamby, a junior at FSU. “Having more bullets flying through the air doesn’t stop the bullets in the first place.”
"The idea of having someone armed in that kind of environment ... is not something that leads to likely good outcomes,” said Tallahassee Community College President Jim Murdaugh.
This isn’t campus carry’s first rodeo in Florida. During this year’s regular legislative session, it quickly rose to the top as one of the biggest bills. It seemed headed for victory and had a relatively easy time passing through the House. But when it came to the Senate, the legislation was effectively killed off when it was taken off a committee agenda and never heard again.
It may only be September, but Wednesday’s lengthy debate over campus carry painted a clear picture the issue is not likely to be any less passionate or controversial during this year’s legislative session.
Regular session begins in January.
Reach Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com
