UPDATE: April 9
Legislation that would legalize concealed handguns on Texas college campuses for students 21 years and older has suffered a temporary setback, falling short of votes in its first attempt at passage by the Texas Senate.
However, the bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, intends to bring it up for consideration again Monday.
According to the Austin American-Statesman:
…even though the measure has strong support from conservative groups and others who call it a key gun rights issue and crucial self-defense measure, it has been vigorously opposed by officials from the University of Texas and other schools, who fear it will lead to bloodshed. Student groups and faculty members have weighed in on both sides.
Wentworth said that if the bill clears the parliamentary vote that allows it to come up for debate, he will accept amendments to ban handguns from hospitals that are connected to medical schools. How kind and sensible of him…
In other Texas news, “the speed limit on some highways in Texas may be raised to 85 mph, the highest in the nation, under legislation the Texas House approved Wednesday,” according to the Statesman.
Jerry Jones, a spokesman for the Southwestern Insurance Information Service, cites safety concerns in opposition to the measure:
Obviously, the two things that kill most people on our highways are speed and alcohol. Increasing it to 85, or even 75, will have a dramatic impact on the death and injury rate on those highways where it’s implemented…85 mph is simply too fast to drive even on a flat road. Any little hitch can cause an accident at that speed. There is still traffic on those roads, and to drive 85 mph is simply ludicrous.
However, Rep. Joe Pickett from El Paso is mainly interested in how quick people can get from point “A” to point “B.” He says, “For people like us who travel that long distance, it could be good” to raise the limit to 85 mph.
It can be even better than “good,” because with an 85 mph speed limit, one can probably cruise at 89 mph without being stopped for speeding.
I guess “good” can be a very relative and subjective term.
And, I guess, in Texas faster cars go right along with faster gun drawing.
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Original Post:
Texas is considering legislation legalizing concealed handguns on college campuses for students 21 years and older.
The legislation moved one step closer to becoming Texas law after a Texas Senate Committee voted 4-2 in favor of Senate Bill 354, moving it forward in the legislative session.
Some believe legally arming students would help in situations like one about six months ago when a University of Texas student opened fire while on campus.
Many oppose this legislation fearing that it would make campuses less safe, having visions of gunmen —and gun ladies—running all over campus.
Interestingly, earlier this evening, the Austin American-Statesman had the following news alert:
Breaking News
Monday, April 4, 2011
UT issues emergency alert about a possible gunman on campus
University of Texas officials have issued a text alert about a possible gunman on campus.
Authorities had apparently activated the University’s emergency alert system after a woman reported seeing a man with two rifles near a recreation center.
Fortunately, the alert was cancelled 30 minutes later when it was determined that an ROTC student was moving “replica guns” from one car to another.
At least someone saw these guns and–even better–they turned out to be replica guns.
I wonder how and if this system will work if and when Senate Bill 354 becomes law and we have numerous students walking around on campus with real and concealed guns.
It should be interesting if not tragic.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.