Several bills have been filed this legislative session targeting the current firearms ban on the state’s college campuses.
At least four bills have been filed, all by Republican lawmakers, taking different approaches on creating measures that would allow those with open and/or concealed carry permits to walk the grounds of the state’s institutions for higher education while armed.
These bills include HB1143, by Rep. George Faught, R-Muskogee; SB0461, by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow; SB0557, by Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City; and SB0718, by Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore.
Rep. John Enns, R-Waukomis, did not file any legislation addressing the issue this session, but he did call an interim study on the topic this summer. Enns said it is not a matter of if legislation like this will be passed, but when.
“Every year it gets closer and eventually it’s going to happen,” Enns said. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen when I’m still in office or not, but I know it’s going to happen.”
In a story from KWGS in Tulsa, on a presentation by Chancellor Glen Johnson of The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education reported,
Although there will be bills to allow guns on school campuses this legislative session, the regents don’t support them. Current policy allows the presidents of the system’s 25 institutions to allow weapons on an individual basis. "Other than that, there's really no scenario where weapons on our college campuses do anything other than promote a more dangerous environment for our students, our faculty, our staff and our visitors," Johnson said. Johnson said the state’s higher education officials don’t oppose the second amendment or gun ownership, and they believe current laws work.
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