Katie Hettinga is a member of the Argonaut and a part of the department of student involvement.
A proposed senate bill may change how universities and community colleges regulate concealed carry weapons on campus.
Senate Bill 1008 aims to get rid of Idaho Code 18-3309, which gives universities the right to regulate firearms on campus.
In Idaho, the law allows individuals over the age of 18 to legally purchase a firearm and conceal carry without a permit.
Currently, the University of Idaho allows those who have obtained an enhanced concealed carry weapons permit to carry on campus. This comes with a limitation that prevents concealed carry within student residences and large event facilities.
Jake Nichols, the executive director for the department of safety and security at UI, discussed the training an individual undergoes in CCW classes.
“It’s very basic, and when and I would always tell people, if you’re going to carry concealed … you should try to attend a training class, at least once a year,” Nichols said. “Just so you become more and more familiar with what the use of force decisions that you’re making.”
Decision-making and familiarity with the law are some of the key principles that Nichols sees as important parts of this bill.
“Are we setting citizens up for success by allowing firearms on campus?” Nichols said. “Just kind of a question we need to work through, and there’s going to be a lot of that in every new law. There’s going to be a process of decision-making behind it that we can’t anticipate or the implications.”
ASUI passed a resolution urging state legislators to vote against this bill. Many of those that spoke during the meeting discussed their stance on the bill regarding safety.
Katie Hettinga, the author of the resolution, said that she isn’t uncomfortable around people who know how to use guns properly but doesn’t feel the same about those that don’t.
“If we allow just anybody to concealed carry on campus into residence halls, Greek facilities and large capacity areas, then I think that would really just make our campus feel even less safe than it already does,” Hettinga said. “It would not be conducive to learning or to developing a safe social environment.”
Hettinga said that college and universities are often the first time most students are facing things alone and experiencing new things.
“If it’s the first time that you are also being introduced to drugs or having access to alcohol regularly, all of those different changes are happening and a lot of those can be really high stress scenarios,” Hettinga said. “When you add any deadly weapon into the mix, like that’s just a recipe for disaster.”
In 2021, the university’s annual security and fire safety report recorded 49 liquor law violations that resulted in arrests and 26 that required disciplinary actions. Pertaining to drug violations, 14 resulted in arrests and 0 in disciplinary actions.
Hettinga and Nichols agreed that safety should be considered with this SB 1008 and that there are certain situations that do not justify processing a firearm.
“If you think about in the grand scheme, most of our large venues … they’re going to restrict weapons,” Nichols said. “That’s why we have this whole industry of security at the gates that we didn’t see 25-30 years ago.”
A couple of weeks ago, schools across Idaho went into lockdown after multiple false active shooter reports were called in, one of which targeted Moscow High School.
Hettinga discussed how the upward trend of school shootings has shaped her opinion on firearms.
“I think that a lot of us in college we’re informed by that kind of vigilance, that we had to grow up with planning our escape routes, where are you going to hide and where you’re going to run to,” Hettinga said. “Not everybody has that same kind of experience where mass shootings are not the norm at the rate in the US as they are in any other developed country.”
Currently, the bill is in the State Affairs Committee since Jan. 19. Nichols said that discussions like these are important to keep people informed and safe.
“This is entirely up to the legislature and to the citizens of this state, and will of the people,” Nichols said. “We live in one of the greatest nations on Earth (because) we get to have a say in these things, which is pretty awesome.”
Daniel V. Ramirez can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @DVR_Tweets
Cindy Hollenbeck
Current students who have to think of escape routes is heartbreaking.