Concealed carry moves to campuses; What could go wrong?

As expected, Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law the campus carry bill. The legislation, similar to what he vetoed last year, will allow those with concealed carry permits have their weapons on public college, university or technical college campuses.

In a statement Deal said, “At the present time, assailants can, and do, target these students knowing full well that their victims are not permitted to carry protection, even those who are weapons carry license holders, because they are either going to or coming from a campus where no weapons are allowed.”

Last year Deal asked the leaders of the House and Senate to exempt on-campus child care facilities, faculty or administrative office space and disciplinary meetings and they refused. This year’s bill excludes those areas and more:

▪  Buildings or property used for athletic sporting events.

▪  Student housing, including, but not limited to, fraternity and sorority houses.

▪  Any room or space being used for classes related to a college and career academy or other specialized school.

▪  Any room or space being used for classes in which high school students are enrolled through a dual enrollment program, including, but not limited to, classes related to the “Move on When Ready Act.”

We guess concealed carry permit holders who aren’t students might feel somewhat safer when they are moving through the cities where schools are located or while driving through a campus, because this bill certainly doesn’t make it any safer for students. If they live on campus, they can’t keep their weapons in their dorm rooms. We guess they’ll have to store them in their vehicles, if they have one. For other visitors on campus, where you can carry and can’t is so convoluted it will be hard to tell when you’re legal or not. Not to worry on that point. If you’re caught carrying a handgun where you’re not supposed to, the fine is only a $25 misdemeanor.

What will this do for Georgia’s higher education reputation? The Franklin College Faculty Senate passed a resolution before Deal signed the measure that stated: “We continue to believe that a robust and open academic environment requires that all feel safe and free from intimidation and/or potential violence. If this legislation is enacted, and students and faculty are hesitant to discuss sensitive or controversial topics because of the presence of guns on campus and in our classrooms, the academic integrity of UGA will be greatly compromised.” They also stated that the campus carry law would make it harder for UGA to recruit and retain instructors.

Here’s a novel idea. Next legislative session, the same right that concealed permit holders now have on college and university campuses should be extended to the Gold Dome.

This story was originally published May 4, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Concealed carry moves to campuses; What could go wrong?."