LITTLE ROCK Ark. — A proposal advanced by a House panel Tuesday would leave the decision of whether to allow faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns up to college and university boards after the lawmaker behind the idea changed his bill to allow schools to opt out.
The House Education Committee approved by a voice vote the proposal that would allow the governing boards for public colleges and universities to ban concealed handguns on specific campuses, areas of campus or buildings, a provision already included for private campuses.
Rep. Charlie Collins’ original proposal would have required public colleges and universities to allow faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns.
Andrew Faulkner, an athletic academic adviser at the University of Central Arkansas and a concealed-carry permit holder, told lawmakers he wanted to able to defend himself if a shooting occurred on his campus.
“In the case of a madman roaming the halls, when the shooter is six seconds away from my door and the police are 20 seconds away from my building, I want the option to be able to fight for my life and not just the option of cowering under my desk with my phone telling my wife that I love her with the possibility of my last breath,” Faulkner said.
The measure is among several easing gun restrictions after Republicans won the House and Senate last year. Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, who this week signed into law a measure allowing concealed handguns in churches, has not said whether he supports Collins’ measure.
Collins cited a number of college shootings throughout the nation, including the 2007 killings of 32 people at Virginia Tech by a student who then committed suicide, as examples of why he believes faculty and staff should have the right to carry concealed weapons on campus.
