Campus carry legislation passed out of Alaska’s Senate judiciary committee March 7 and is next expected to be taken up by the Senate’s finance committee.
The legislation, Senate Bill 174, is sponsored by Sen. Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks).
NRA-ILA reports that SB 174 “would allow students, faculty and guests to own, possess, carry, transport or store a firearm on areas of the University of Alaska campus where not prohibited by law.” The bill is designed to limit the University of Alaska Board of Regent’s ability to bar concealed license holders from carrying guns with which to defend themselves and others.
SB 174 is premised on the understanding that “a state-funded institution should not be allowed to impose rules more strict than state law, especially rules to limit one’s right to self-defense.”
Eight states currently have laws very similar to SB 174. Those eight are Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Texas, and Kansas (the law takes effect in TX August 2016 and takes effect in Kansas July 1, 2017). Campus carry legislation similar to that being considered in Alaska has already passed the Georgia House and will get a Senate vote by March 24.
Laws in 23 other states — including Alaska, at present — give university systems in their states the prerogative to allow or disallow campus carry as they see fit. The National Conference of State Legislatures lists those 23 as “Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.”
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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