Guns on campuses information (loose format)

Alexis Simmons

  1. A law was put into place, set to begin July 1, 2017, allowing concealed carry on college campuses. Multiple committee meetings were held to discuss the bill. Senator O’Donnell from Sedgwick tried to bring the bill to activity July 1, 2016 but his amendment was voted down.

    1. A bill was also passed removing the need for a license and training to buy a gun.

    2. Schools can install security measures at entrances, “If they want to keep guns out of a building, every door must have metal detectors and security guards.”

      1. “With more than 800 buildings on just the six university campuses alone, that alternative is prohibitively expensive. One community college in suburban KC– a campus far smaller than the smallest of the state’s university campuses– put the cost of guarded doors at $20 million.”

    3. No more exemptions.

     2.  No meetings are coming as the bill has been passed. No changes are set to occur.

     3.  Students can continue writing letters to their senators and representatives, whose email addresses can be found here.

Survey results (according to NPR):

  • Overall, 70 percent of respondents said allowing guns on campus would negatively impact their course and how they teach; 20 percent disagreed.

  • Two-thirds said allowing guns would limit their freedom to teach the material and engage with students in a way that optimizes learning, while 24 percent disagreed.

  • Nearly half said allowing concealed weapons would increase crime on campus. Just 16 percent thought it would do the opposite.