“I think it’s unnecessary I don’t think we should need our teachers to have guns in the first place that’s why we have campus security we have police.”
The bill HB 1249, also known as the Concealed Carry Act would require public colleges in Arkansas such as the University of Arkansas to allow faculty and staff with concealed carry permits to carry their firearms on campus.
“So the goal of the bill is to make some of these killers say to themselves I’m not going to shoot people on an Arkansas campus today.”
The bill is currently being sent back to the Arkansas House of Representatives with a possible amendment to allow anyone over the age of 25 to carry on public campuses as long as they have their license and have completed an active-shooter training program.
One student believes this bill would be another obstacle for active shooters to think about.
“I feel like they would second guess it because you know they don’t have the buffer time of before the police can get here.”
The bill does have some boundaries. Health centers and daycares on campus will still be gun restricted zones. Representative collins says he hopes the bill can do two things.
“Deter the crazy killers but balance that with the safety concerns, we don’t want to make allowing carry to create an even bigger problem.”
Once the house and senate agree on the bill it will be sent to the governor’s desk for signing.
Story by UATV Reporter Davey Bullard