The Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee passed a bill late Monday that bans concealed firearms from college campuses.
The measure, House Bill 1226, had already passed the House, where it became national news after a Democratic proponent talked about rape, whistles and call boxes in a statement he later admitted was clumsy.
Those in favor of the bill said it was a matter of safety.
“They are not always law-abiding citizens,” said Julie Carr, a University of Colorado at Boulder professor, referring to those who have concealed- carry permits.
She pointed out cases of murder perpetrated by permit holders.
“Are we waiting for such an event to happen on a campus?” Carr asked.
Opponents of the bill said it makes campuses less safe.
The bill “is nothing short of insanity,” said Evan Todd, a Columbine High School shooting survivor. “It creates even more gun-free zones than already exist.”
The bill was in the works before the Aurora theater and Connecticut elementary school shootings. The impetus was a state Supreme Court ruling last spring that said college campuses cannot ban concealed-carry weapons because they weren’t included in the list of exceptions when the legislature in 2003 passed the Concealed Carry Act.
The measure has passed the House on a 34-31 vote, with three Democrats joining Republicans in voting “no.”
