UVA Board Passes Regulation to Ban Firearms on Campus

The Cavalier Daily, UVA's student newpaper, reports that the UVA Board of Visitors approved a regulation Friday banning firearms on "Grounds, at the University Medical Center and at the College at Wise".

The new regulation applies to all University students, personnel, trainees, volunteers and visitors, including those with concealed weapons permits.

The regulation will now be submitted to the state for publication the Virginia Register and then later in the Virginia Administrative Code before taking effect.

ODU Takes Steps to Tighten Firearms Ban on Campus

The Virginian Pilot reports today that Old Dominion University (ODU) administrators have drafted a regulation for consideration by the university’s Board of Visitors (BOV) that will be considered at its December meeting to explicitly ban all firearms, except those carried by police officers, from campus buildings and sports events.  The BOV is the governing body of the state institution.

In a July opinion requested by a state lawmaker, Cuccinelli said a University of Virginia policy banning guns from campus does not apply to holders of concealed-weapon permits.

ODU has a similar policy, as do most Virginia state colleges and universities.

The AG's Opinion said that "university policies" cannot ban concealed firearms on campus but left open the avenue for "regulations" to ban carrying at state colleges and universities because the AG said regulations carry the force of laws.

Currently, Utah is the only state that has a policy allowing permit holders to carry guns on campuses of its nine public universities.  There are individual instutions, such as Colorado State University, which is prohibited by the state constitution from banning concealed carry on campus, and Blue Ridge Community College in Virginia, that allows concealed carry on its campuses.

A bill to prohibit state colleges and universities from passing such regulations was introduced in during the 2011 General Assembly but died in a Senate committee.

To date, there have been no issues in Utah, or on the campuses of CSU and Blue Ridge Community College with concealed firearm permit holders causing problems.  But, that is usually the case with permit holders - they obey the law.

Carrying Firearms on College Campuses

A day after Virginia Tech was on complete lock down after three young people attending a special program on campus reported seeing what they thought was a man carrying a firearm covered by a handkerchief, the Richmond CBS affiliate ran this story.

 

VSSA will be attending today's forum on college carry that will take place at the National Press Club from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM.

Twisting Words to Make a Point

Virginia Tech shooting survivor and gun control advocate Colin Goddard has an Op/Ed on CNN's web site calling for colleges to remain self-defense free zones.  To his credit, Goddard begins the piece by listing the main failures in the system that allowed Virginia Tech to happen - Tech failed to notify students of the original shootings earlier that morning (previously cited by USDOE as a failure on Tech's part), weaknesses in the mental health system in addressing Cho's problems, and the courts, who failed to appropriately note a judge's ruling that could have prevented Cho from purchasing his firearms.  But, he eventually gets around to what he and his employers at the Brady Campaign view as the real culprit in the mass shooting, and indeed most mass shootings - the lack of background checks on private firearm sales, especially those at gun shows.

Goddard finishes his OP/Ed by pulling a 12 year-old quote from Wayne LaPierre out of context to make his point - that if the head of the NRA says there should be zero-tolarance for guns at schools, then carry on college and university campuses is a bad idea.

The head of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, said it well after the Columbine tragedy in 1999: "We believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools. That means no guns in America's schools, period ... with the rare exception of law enforcement officers or trained security personnel. We believe America's schools should be as safe as America's airports. You can't talk about, much less take, bombs and guns onto airplanes. Such behavior in our schools should be prosecuted just as certainly as such behavior in our airports is prosecuted."

Never mind that LaPierre was talking about K-12 schools.  College students are adults and most states require concealed carry permit holders to be 21, meaning most students would be juniors or seniors before they would even qualify.  The point is, if a 21 year-old is able to carry concealed if they are anywhere else other than a college campus, then why not allow that same person to do so on campus?

Mike Adams had different message last week over on Townhall.com.  He later talked about his article, Full Metal Yellow Jacket ,with NRANews host Cam Edwards:



Adams' message is, keeping law abiding students disarmed makes them a sitting duck at the mercy of any criminal that they may happen upon.

Texas is currently considering allowing concealed carry on it's college and university campuses. Goddard says proponents of carry on campus have not explained how such a law would be enforced and states that adding carry on campus will complicate how police deal with an active shooter on campus. What Goddard does not say is we have a model for college carry - Utah. There have been no incidents on the campuses in that state. Nor have there been any problems right here in Virginia on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College.

Texas has the votes to pass the legislation and Governor Perry has said he would sign the bill. Arizona may also consider college carry during its legislative session. Bills in Virginia so far have never gotten out of committee. My guess is once we have more states with successful college carry, Virginia may well join the list of those allowing carry on campus.

Firearms and the Workplace

It seems there is no limit to the gun ban lobby's use of the courts to fight the right to self defense. A Denver Legal Blog details the gun ban crowd's latest legal strategy.

A Nashville server has come up with an interesting strategy to try to reign in the proliferation of guns in public places. The server has filed a complaint with the state alleging that the mixture of guns and bars creates an unsafe work environment. The server, who remains anonymous, works at Jackson's Bar and Bistro. The complaint alleges that it is a violation of Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations to allow permit holders to carry guns into places that serve alcohol, such as Jackson's.

For those unfamiliar with the Tennessee law, the state's legislature repealed the "restaurant ban" in 2009 after overriding the Governor's veto, only to see a A Nashville judge rule that the law allowing concealed carry only in establishments that primarily sold food in addition to alcohol was unconstitutionally vague. In response, the General Assembly passed a new law this year allowing permit holders to carry into any establishment that serves alcohol. The new law allows restaurant owners to post a sign prohibiting firearms.

The post goes on to suggest that Colorado University, should follow the the same strategy in fighting concealed carry on campus.

Bill Introduced To Give College Boards Power to Ban Firearms

Currently colleges and universities only have the power to control what their students and employees do related to regulating firearms on campus. But if a parent comes on campus to visit, and that parent has a concealed handgun permit, the institution has no power to prevent the parent from carrying while on the campus according to a 2006 Attorney General's Opinion. Delegate Luke Torian (D-Woodbridge) has introduced a bill (HB 1271) that would change that.

The 2006 opinion, issued by then Attorney General Bob McDonnell states:

Governing boards of Virginia’s public colleges and universities may not impose general prohibition on carrying of concealed weapons by permitted individuals.
Pursuant to specific grants of statutory authority, however, colleges and universities may regulate conduct of students and employees to prohibit them from carrying concealed weapons on campus.

HB 1271 would give the Board of Visitors or other governing body of a college or university the power to establish rules and regulations for the possession or transportation of firearms or ammunition by anyone on property owned or operated by the institution.

How is campus any different?

This column appeared in the Virginia Tech student newspaper on Wednesday. Written by Sam Stephens, a student who is identified as a guest columnist, the article is thoughtful and concise on the topic of being able to protect one's life.

I feel like I lead a good life. I'm a student at an incredible school in one of the top 10 engineering programs in the country. I have an incredible family, any one of which I'd take a bullet for. I have good friends and just recently I've landed the most amazing girl I've ever met.

But I cannot pretend to comprehend why someone would take two students' lives in the middle of their camping trip. No one can answer what was on Cho's mind when he killed 32 of my classmates, and I will never know why no one acted when the girl was stabbed and decapitated in front of her fellow Hokies.

The one thing that I do know is that not a single one of the victims of these crimes stood a fighting chance. I do know that as soon as I cross onto campus I can no longer have my weapon on me even though I'm a law-abiding citizen with a concealed handgun permit.

This issue is not going away. As more students like Sam speak out, more legislators are going to take notice and the standard "college campuses should be places where guns are not needed" will no longer suffice as a response to the campus carry movement.

Wall Street Journal Covers Issue of Campus Carry

Campus carry suffered set backs in an number of states where it was introduced this year. Texas had looked like it was going to be the best opportunity this year but the bill died at the end of the legislative session. The Wall Street Journal ran an article (this link will only be good for seven days) on the subject this morning. Some points of interest:

Gun-rights advocates have won victories in several states in recent months allowing gun owners to carry concealed weapons in public parks, taverns and their work places.

So it came as a surprise to Tennessee state Rep. Stacey Campfield that he couldn't persuade his colleagues to pass a law allowing students at public colleges to carry concealed firearms on campus. The bill died this spring in the Republican-controlled legislature -- one of 34 straight defeats nationwide for people who believe a gun wouldn't be out of place in a college student's knapsack.

Colin Goddard, a 21-year-old junior at the time (of the Virginia Tech shooting), was shot four times in a classroom where his teacher and 11 fellow students were killed. Not long afterward, Mr. Goddard began speaking out against guns on campus, and he is now an intern at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in Washington.

Another former Virginia Tech student, John Woods, whose girlfriend was killed in the shootings, helped lead the fight this spring against the bill in Texas, where he is now a graduate student at the University of Texas.

I agree with the Journal reporter that Texas will likely be the best chance to pass a campus carry bill since Utah's bill which passed in 2004. For the effort to be successful in other states, proponents will have to overcome the emotional arguments that campuses should be places where people can be free from guns. For some reason, that sentiment seems to escape those who have used a gun to commit a crime on a college campus.

Liberty University to stay gun free

The Lynchburg News and Advance reported this morning that the Liberty University Board of Trustees has decided to continue to ban firearms on campus.

It was believed by some (this writer included) that the private conservative Christian university was Virginia's best chance at getting self-defense policy in place at a major four-year college or university. In the end, the governing board opted not to allow commonsense to prevail. While the decision is disappointing, it should not be a complete surprise as the usual comments ("can't imagine handing out grades to students with guns") were thrown out in the article from those opposing the change in policy.

Currently only Blue Ridge Community College allows students to carry on campus.

Will Illinois Join 48 Other CCW States

Not Virginia related but Illinois is close to a vote to allow concealed carry. The Illinois Sheriff's Association supports the bill. Here's hoping they are successful.

Gun Rights Week at JMU

Its great to see that the next generation is taking up the fight to protect our gun rights. The College Republicans at James Madison University is sponsoring a Gun Rights Week where discussions of gun rights, including carrying concealed firearms on college campuses, will be held tonight, Thursday and Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. each day.