Ariz. lawmakers support concealed guns on campus

Ben Garcia

With Texas slated to become the second state, after Utah, in the country to allow all students and professors on college campuses to carry concealed handguns, the question of, is Arizona next, has to be taken into serious consideration.Some Arizona Republican lawmakers have voiced support for a “campus carry” bill, House Bill 2014, and Senate Bill 1467.

The proposed legislation would not allow college campuses to ban anyone with a handgun as long as they also have a concealed weapons permit issued by the state.

In essence, if one of the “campus carry” bills becomes law, it would trump any rules put in place by the Maricopa College district to restrict students and teachers from carrying guns on campus.

MCC’s public safety Capt. Lynn Bray, who is a self-admitted gun advocate, believes when it comes to “the right to carry” limitations have to be set somewhere. When asked if he supported any type of proposed “campus-carry” legislation, Bray said “No.”

Similar feelings are shared by Maricopa Chancellor Rufus Glasper who said, “I do not support guns on campus.”

Glasper’s issue with students or teachers having guns on campus is that he doesn’t feel that a “concealed weapons permit is sufficient training … If there is an incident.”

Harold Cranswick, an MCC economics teacher, is out spoken at district board meetings about proposed gun legislation.

“If the state of Arizona proceeds with any of the currently proposed gun legislation … It is unrealistic to expect students to feel safe,” Cranswick said.

Bray doesn’t believe that the MCCCD governing board would pass any rules allowing students and teachers to carry handguns on campus.

He noted that up until recently handguns were banned on college campuses in Arizona.

Bray was able to recall the exact date in which proposed legislation passed and became law that allowed him and the other certified officers at MCC to carry handguns.

He went on to say that it was the day after the Virginia Tech massacre, that left more than 30 dead, that Arizona passed a bill, endorsed by Russell Pearce, allowing certified officers on MCCCD campuses to carry handguns for the first time.

  • Mesa Legend Staff

    These are archived stories from Mesa Legend editions before Fall 2018. See article for corresponding author.

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