Texas Senate passes bill to allow students to carry weapons Texas Senate OKs guns on college campus bill today

AUSTIN — A bill to allow college students and employees to carry their concealed handguns on campus won final passage today on a 19-12 vote in the Senate.

The bill would allow college students who are at least 21 years old and licensed to carry concealed handguns to bring those weapons into state campus buildings. University hospitals and athletic facilities would remain off limits to guns.

It applies to all universities and colleges in the state, but private institutions would be able to opt out.

Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, said he introduced the bill because of the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech, where he said victims were “picked off like sitting ducks.”

“I would feel personally guilty if I woke up one morning and read that something similar had occurred on a Texas campus,” he said.

If the Senate gives the bill final approval — which could happen today — the controversial measure could go back to the House, where it died last week because lawmakers did not make the deadline to debate it.

However, legislative rules do allow House lawmakers to take up the Senate version if they do it before midnight Tuesday.

Exactly half of the House members, 75 of 150, have signed on as supporters of the bill, a legislative priority of the Texas State Rifle Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association.

Only 11 U.S. universities allow handguns on campus. In Texas, college students are split on the issue and several university administrators have expressed reservation.

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, tried to amend the bill to allow all schools to opt in if their governing boards wanted to allow concealed guns on campus. Colorado took that approach, she said, with some universities allowing guns and others not.

“This is a common-sense approach to the concealed handgun issue. Allow local control,” she said. Her amendment was defeated.

Katie Kasprzak, a recent graduate of Texas State University, testified in favor of the bill before legislative committees.

She completed the required course and shooting test to get licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but wasn’t able to carry it at night when she walked alone on campus.

“If someone wants to protect themselves, they should be guaranteed that right whether they are on a college campus,” said Kasprzak.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, said the bill could confuse university police, who now know that a person with a gun on campus is violating the law.

“When there is an alcohol-related tragedy on campus, you don’t hear claims that giving students a 12-pack is the solution,” he said.

“Yet, when it comes to gun-related incidents, we seem to think that putting more guns in the mix will lead to a good, rather than bloody outcome,” Ellis said.

janet.elliott@chron.com