A controversial bill that would have allowed concealed weapons to be carried on college and university campuses is, for all intents and purposes this legislative session, dead.
The legislation, which was sponsored by Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, was widely panned by law enforcement agencies, and Arizona university and college officials.
Northland Pioneer College President Dr. Jeanne Swarthout had expressed strong reservations about the proposed legislation when it was presented as part of January’s new legislative session. (NPC was on spring break at press time, so Swarthout could not be reached for comment.)
The bill would have allowed individuals with a concealed weapons permit to carry firearms on campus. Universities and colleges could only have prohibited the carrying of guns if secure storage lockers were provided on campus.
Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a different version of the bill that Gould pitched last year. This year’s bill didn’t even make it to the governor’s desk. Gould said he couldn’t garner enough support from lawmakers to push the law forward.
While the bill hasn’t been formally withdrawn, Gould doesn’t believe it can be resurrected in time for a vote this year.
“In effect it’s dead, because we’re so far along in the session,” he said.
This is the third campus gun bill that Gould, who is the chair of the Judiciary Committee, which runs gun bills, has put forward in recent years. The first bill was authored after a shooting rampage on the campus of Virginia Tech in April 2007 left 33 people dead, including the shooter, who committed suicide.
Gould won’t make a fourth attempt with his bill since his term limit in the state senate has expired and he’s running for Congress. He believes, however, that someone else will recycle the bill in his stead.
