Revised bill no longer includes regulations of university campuses, issue likely to reappear

Idaho Senate Bill 1381, which would allow students with concealed weapons licenses to carry on campus has gone back to revision. An open forum was held on Wednesday for the public to voice their opinion on the bill.

According to senior Jimmy Fox, a lobbyist for ASUI in Boise, the revised bill will not contain any language regarding carrying concealed weapons on a university campus. Another bill addressing the issue will most likely appear sometime later this session, he said.

ASUI hosted an open forum Wednesday to discuss students carrying concealed weapons on campus. A panel, which consisted of two students and law professor James MacDonald, was there to answer questions.

The students were junior Garrett Holbrook, who was against the passage of the bill, and senior Aled Baker, who helped to draft an original version of the bill, before it went to revision.

“We believe this is a reasonable restriction. We are not against the Second Amendment, we just believe that there is no place on the university for a concealed weapon,” said Holbrook, a former ASUI senator.

“If you allow the people who follow the law to defend themselves, we’ll have a much safer campus,” Baker said.
“How could it be a good idea to mix alcohol, young kids and firearms?” MacDonald asked.

After a two-minute speech from each panel member, the floor opened for audience members to participate by asking questions either directed at the entire panel or one member of it.

Questions came from a variety of people, including a concerned resident assistant and foreign exchange students.

“I know that diversity is a topic of agenda for the university, how does this look to other countries?” said Natalie Evans, an exchange student from England. “If I even know that someone has a concealed weapon, I want to run away.”

About half of the people in attendance were in support of the bill, and half were opposed to it.
“This bill provides the people who have a regard for the law a way to defend themselves,” Baker said. “It protects the Constitutionally guaranteed right to protect the gift of life.”

ASUI’s official stance on the bill, as given to Fox in Boise, reads: “Citizens have the right to keep and bear arms, but just as some actions and forms of speech are not universally acceptable, neither should loaded firearms be permitted in all places. Allowing loaded weapons on campus increases the risk of both accidental discharge and use in the heat of anger, and more than adequate alternatives exist for those University of Idaho students who wish to keep their firearms in Moscow.”

ASUI President Jon Gaffney thinks that the law as it stands now is a completely reasonable restriction.
“My primary concern was actual student safety and the climate of safety on campus, so I had to look at not only what would be the safest option for students on campus, but how it would effect the climate of safety on campus, because the two are intertwined,” Gaffney said.

According to the Latah County Sheriff’s Office, in order to receive a concealed weapons license in Latah County, one must come to the office and fill out a two-part application, as well as a fingerprint card. The application is checked for eligibility in Boise, with mental health records consulted.

One must also pay a fee of $56 and have proof of firearms training. This can come from military papers, training from the Department of Fish and Game, such as a hunter’s education course, or from the private sector.

	1. 15-02-2008 17:24
	Regarding the caption on the photo assoc I submitted the following letter to the editors of the Argonaut earlier today. I hope they choose to publish it (and issue a correction), but I feel my comments are important enough that I want to leave them here as well.     ----------------------    Editors,     The caption on the photo on the front page of Friday's Argonaut reads, "Attendees raise their hands to signify they would feel uncomfortable surrounded by gunbearers. UI political science major Kristin Caldwell stands at the mic at the new gun legislation debate Wednesday."    The question Kristin Caldwell actually asked was how many attendees would feel uncomfortable if a gun fell out of a backpack on the floor next to them in class. This is not a minor semantic distinction. There's a big difference between students feeling uncomfortable knowing they're in the presence of licensed concealed carriers, and students feeling uncomfortable because a firearm falls out of a backpack next to them.     I am not made uncomfortable in the least by the idea of concealed carry on campus. I am - as a gun owner, frequent shooter, and advocate of firearm safety and responsible use - likely to be concerned about a gun falling out of a backpack. Such an event would indicate the bearer of the firearm was not carrying his or her weapon safely. Firearms should always be handled in a manner consistent with the four rules of gun safety:     1) Treat every gun as if it loaded.   2) Never point a gun at something you do not intend to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)  3) Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until your sights are on the target.   4) Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.    Most gun owners are fanatics about gun safety. We police our own very well - safety rules are enforced during trips to the shooting range with friends, while handling firearms in our homes, etc. I do not know a single person who carries a firearm who has experienced their gun falling out of a backpack or holster. I have never seen a firearm simply plop out on the floor next to me in a movie theater, shopping mall, or restaurant.     Back to the photo on the front page of the Argonaut. When Kristin Caldwell asked her question, I didn't raise my hand. I felt the question was loaded, and that the visual image of attendees raising their hands would be misconstrued and possibly misreported as those attendees being uncomfortable with gun carry in general - rather than the actual topic at hand, which was unsafe carry practices. Unfortunately, the Argonaut completely validated my concerns by mis-captioning the photo.     Laurel Griffeath  General Studies '09  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it     ----------------------    As a side note, I would like to extend a public invitation to anyone interested in learning more about gun safety, shooting sports, concealed carry, or any other related topic to contact me via the email address above. I will do whatever I can to assist you find the information you're looking for - from linking you up with a class to providing personal instruction on firearm/range safety, mechanics, shooting, etc. When I say I'm committed to promoting safe and responsible gun ownership, I mean it. Registered

laurelgriffeath

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