Campus Gun Bill Gets Approval In Senate Committee

February 17, 2015

People with concealed-firearms licenses could carry guns at state colleges and universities, under a proposal narrowly approved Monday by a Senate committee.

Meanwhile, people without concealed-firearms licenses could carry weapons during emergency evacuation orders, under a separate measure backed by the committee.

The guns-on-campus bill (SB 176) was approved in a 3-2 party line vote by the Republican-controlled Senate Criminal Justice Committee. It would lift a longstanding ban on carrying concealed weapons on campuses.

Committee Chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker, the sponsor of the proposal, displayed a map of sexual offenders living near the Florida State University campus as he called the bill a safety issue.

“The problem is that in gun-free zones, that we have on college campuses right now, those gun-free zones are just an incubator for folks that won’t follow the law,” Evers said.

But Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, argued that the proposal would allow “mini-militias” to form on the state’s campuses.

“I believe it sends the wrong message to not only our students within the state of Florida, but people who may intend to come to Florida for college,” Gibson said. “It certainly sends the wrong message to their parents.”

Proponents, however, said the measure is needed.

Steven Landgraf, an economics student at Florida State University, said allowing people with concealed-weapons licenses to keep their weapons won’t create “a wild west on campus.”

National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer said people with the licenses shouldn’t have their “constitutional rights violated” by stepping onto a campus. And she warned committee members that campuses are already dangerous places.

“The plain truth is that campuses are not safe,” Hammer said. “They are gun-free zones where murderers, rapists, terrorists, crazies may commit crime without fear of being harmed by their victims.”

The campus gun proposal advanced despite opposition announced last week by the university system’s Board of Governors, university police chiefs and the 12 public universities.

A number of college faculty members, mostly from Florida State University, spoke Monday in opposition to the measure.

Marjorie Sanfilippo, a professor of psychology at Eckerd College, called the bill dangerous.

“It is mere speculation and ignorance of statistical probability to assert that armed students are the reason why shootings don’t happen on campuses,” Sanfilippo told the committee. “Proponents will tell you that allowing conceal carry will protect female students from sexual assault. I will point out the obvious; you’ll be arming the assailants, too.”

Evers contends that allowing people with concealed-weapons licenses to arm themselves would have reduced injuries in a November shooting at Florida State University that left three people wounded.

The gunman in the incident, an FSU graduate, was killed by police. However, Evers said that wouldn’t always be the case, as it takes three to five minutes typically for law enforcement to respond to the first call of a shooting.

“There’s a lot of death that could occur in three minutes and having someone that has a concealed carry, that has their gun on them, could prevent that from happening,” Evers said before Monday’s meeting.

Evers also dismissed concerns that increasing the number of armed people would further add confusion for law enforcement arriving on the scene.

“By the time law enforcement gets there, the incident would be well under control,” Evers said. “When law enforcement says, ‘Put down your guns and get down on your knees,’ the law abiding citizens are going to do this.”

The Senate guns-on-campus bill must clear three additional committees to reach the floor. The House version of the guns-on-campus proposal (HB 4005) was supported last month by the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on a party-line vote, with Democrats opposed.

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Monday also voted 4-1, with Gibson opposed, on a measure (SB 290) that would allow gun owners without concealed-weapons licenses to legally carry their guns when an emergency evacuation order is given.

Last year, a similar measure failed to pass after heavy floor debate on the second-to-last day of the legislative session. However, this time the proposal has the support of the Florida Sheriffs Association, which opposed the 2014 version.

The change in the sheriffs association’s position came as Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who is sponsoring the bill, added a timeline Monday to this year’s proposal. The timeline would set a 48-hour window for individuals to carry weapons while they get away from an evacuation zone once the order is given.

The governor could extend the order by an additional 48 hours, under the proposal.

by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

Comments

6 Responses to “Campus Gun Bill Gets Approval In Senate Committee”

  1. JC on February 19th, 2015 11:11 am

    I was referring to having concealed weapons in your vehicle while it is parked at your place of employment IE private, fenced in, not to carry laws in general.

  2. Sedition on February 19th, 2015 12:55 am

    As a side note, a person can open carry a firearm as per 790.25(3)(h) and (n) which states that:
    790.25(3)LAWFUL USES.—The provisions of ss. 790.053 and 790.06 do not apply in the following instances, and, despite such sections, it is lawful for the following persons to own, possess, and lawfully use firearms and other weapons, ammunition, and supplies for lawful purposes:
    (h) A person engaged in fishing, camping, or lawful hunting or going to or returning from a fishing, camping, or lawful hunting expedition;
    (n) A person possessing arms at his or her home or place of business;

  3. Sedition on February 19th, 2015 12:44 am

    Incorret TOH. One does NOT have to have a CCW permit to carry a firearm in their vehicle as per 790.25(5) POSSESSION IN PRIVATE CONVEYANCE.—Notwithstanding subsection (2), it is lawful and is not a violation of s. 790.01 for a person 18 years of age or older to possess a concealed firearm or other weapon for self-defense or other lawful purpose within the interior of a private conveyance, without a license, if the firearm or other weapon is securely encased or is otherwise not readily accessible for immediate use. Nothing herein contained prohibits the carrying of a legal firearm other than a handgun anywhere in a private conveyance when such firearm is being carried for a lawful use. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize the carrying of a concealed firearm or other weapon on the person. This subsection shall be liberally construed in favor of the lawful use, ownership, and possession of firearms and other weapons, including lawful self-defense as provided in s. 776.012.
    Note that 790.06(1) defines a concealed firearm as a handgun and 790.06(2)(b) requires the CCW applicant be 21 years of age or older.

  4. JC on February 18th, 2015 4:25 pm

    TOH,
    The convention center and a persons workplace are private property. Owners of buildings or businesses have the right to make their own rules. Currently in Fl. people are allowed by state law to have their concealed arms, particularly handguns, in their vehicles in the parking lots of the aforementioned places as long as they are permit holders and the vehicle is locked. When it comes to private establishments or government buildings concealed or open carry is restricted in almost every state. Their are always certain restrictions on peoples rights, all rights, in certain places. If your workplace requires or allows you to carry that is the decision of the owners of said business.

  5. ThisOldHouse on February 18th, 2015 7:43 am

    “National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer said people with the licenses shouldn’t have their “constitutional rights violated” by stepping onto a campus.”

    Here we go again with the NRA. People shouldn’t have constitution rights violated by stepping into their National Headquarters or into their conventions. But they do.

    Same goes for our politicians. People with licenses shouldn’t have their constitutional rights violated by stepping into their workplace either. But they do.

  6. Kate on February 17th, 2015 11:54 am

    You got that right. Give an idiot and gun and they will shoot you. OR in this case an immature brain a gun and they will shoot you. Guess you will have to go to college out of state to be safe.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News