Student gun rights would be protected under pending Arizona legislation to legalize campus carry.
This from thecollegefix.com.
State Sen. Wendy Rogers (pictured), a Flagstaff Republican, brought up the recent murder of Georgia college student Laken Riley and problems with illegal immigration as some of the reasons why Senate Bill 1198 is important.
Rogers told The College Fix in a recent phone interview:
This is a situation where we are stipulating that a 21 year old who has a concealed carry permit should be able to carry on campus to defend oneself.
The bill prohibits state higher education institutions from banning concealed carry weapons for concealed carry permit holders on Arizona college campuses.
The Arizona House currently is debating the bill after it passed the state Senate in a 16-10 vote in February.
Rogers told The Fix a common argument from gun control advocates is that college students are:
[A] combustive mixture of hormones and overindulgent of alcohol and for them to have weapons is aggravating an already combustive situation. I say that is a smokescreen argument.
According to the AZ Mirror:
She told The Fix this is her fourth time introducing the bill. Last year, it passed the state legislature, but [communist/globalist] Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed it.
Rogers said she keeps fighting to pass the bill because her constituents elected her to be a champion for such causes.
She told The Fix she is dedicated to defending her constituent’s Second Amendment rights, which the state has no right to restrict.
Arizona passed its concealed carry law in 1994. To apply for a concealed carry permit, an individual must be a resident of Arizona, a U.S. citizen, and at least 21 years old. Additionally, the citizen must not be a convicted felon or mentally incompetent, and must complete firearms safety training.
However, according to its weapons policy, Arizona State University, the largest university in the state:
[Prohibits] all firearms; loaded or unloaded, real or simulated.
When asked about Rogers’ bill, the university media office told The Fix in an email statement this month:
We’re not commenting on this pending legislation at this time.
According to a legislative fact sheet about Rogers’ bill:
The Arizona Board of Regents also prohibit the possession, display, and storage of weapons on university property with certain exceptions.
Concealed carry, however, is not one of the exceptions.
The policy states:
Having a concealed weapons permit does not exclude anyone from the policy. Only certified police officers performing their official duties may carry—openly or concealed—a weapon on university grounds.
Charles Heller, co-founder and communication director of Arizona Citizens Defense League, told The College Fix there are a lot of misconceptions about concealed carry on campuses. His organization advocates for legislation supporting Arizonans’ right to keep and bear arms.
He told The Fix in an email this month:
First, you can NEVER increase security by disarming potential victims on campus.
Second, people with concealed carry weapons permits are very law-abiding.
Heller said:
Article 2 Section 26 of the state’s constitution clearly supports the right as well.
It states:
[T]he right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself or the state shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain, or employ an armed body of men.
Final thought: God speed to Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers.
