Texas Campus Carry Quietly Turns Two

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Wednesday marks two years since Texas' campus carry law took effect at public universities and one year since it took effect at community colleges.

Critics of SB 11 argued college campuses would become unsafe, free speech would be limited for fear of being shot and campus crime would rise.

“Nothing has happened, there have been no incidents associated with violence or threats of violence associated with campus conceal carry,” says Michael Newbern of Students for Concealed Carry.

However, Newbern admits the Texas law is not perfect, and he's hopeful it can be tweaked next legislative session.

“In some cases it will make a felon out of an unwitting licensee who mistakenly carries a firearm into a location that is prohibited,” he says.

Three UT-Austin professors sued to block the law, but the case was thrown out. They appealed to the 5th Circuit last month.

“There are already guns on campus that are being carried unlawfully by unlicensed individuals, they're called criminals,” says Newbern. “So the question is not whether or not we want to have guns on campus. The question is whether or not we want the only ones to be there, are the ones that are being carried unlawfuly by criminals.”


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