A bill to allow concealed weapons on college campuses successfully made its way through another Senate Committee Tuesday, passing the Senate Higher Education Committee by a vote of 5-3.
The bill, SB 68, would allow those with a state-issued concealed weapons permit to carry their firearms on public college campuses. Florida law currently bans carrying firearms on state university grounds.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, says public safety is the first and foremost reason the bill should be made law in Florida. Evers and supporters of the bill say it would help gun holders defend themselves against attackers on college campuses, especially protecting young women from sexual predators.
“How can we ensure we are safe? Making [campuses] a gun free zone just makes it target rich, as we have seen,” said student Matthew Pick. “I’m a college student and I’m concerned for my safety.”
“We decide to pursue an education and all of a sudden our rights are stripped from us,” said Rebekah Hargrove, president of Florida Students for Concealed Carry. “This bill is about choice ... this bill is about choosing what you want to do with yourself. If I choose to carry a firearm, that’s my choice and no one else’s.”
Opponents of the bill say, however, that putting guns in an environment which is already high-stress and full of drug and alcohol use is a recipe for disaster.
Some state lawmakers said they couldn’t support the bill because they believed there were already gun safety issues that needed to be addressed before allowing it.
“I have some fears and safety about this bill,” said Sen. Arthenia Joyner “We need to do more about [gun] safety.”
Similar proposals made their way through various legislative committees during the 2015 regular session, but the legislation was sent to its death in the Senate when it was taken off the calendar for the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting in April.
Since then, gun rights activists have promised they wouldn’t be giving up on the fight to get the bill passed. Students and gun groups across the state have banded together to push state lawmakers to pass the legislation. One group, Florida Students for Concealed Carry, even offered to pay for transportation or arrange carpools for students who wanted to head to Tallahassee to voice their support for the bill.
The bill has gathered significant support from the National Rifle Association, which says there’s no good reason to stop people 21 and older with a concealed weapons permit from carrying their firearms.
"Simply not liking guns, not trusting students, and not respecting the constitutional rights of others is not a legitimate reason to prohibit fundamental freedoms,” read an email from Marion Hammer, NRA past president and current lobbyist for the organization.
The bill now has to pass through two more Senate committees. Regular session begins in January.
Reach Alliso Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com
