Campus Guns Bill: 'Oh, It's Dead,' Sponsor Says

From The Associated Press

Controversial legislation to allow concealed weapons on Arizona university and college campuses is dead, the proposal’s sponsor said Tuesday.

State Sen. Ron Gould, a Republican from Lake Havasu City, told The Associated Press that there is not enough support among lawmakers for the bill.

“Oh, it’s dead,” Gould said.

“I think they just got weak-kneed because it’s an election year, and the universities put on a full-court press because they knew that if I could get it up to the governor, the governor was willing to sign it,” Gould said.

The measure, which would have allowed gun owners with concealed-carry permits to bring their firearms on campus, drew strong opposition from university officials and police chiefs, among other critics.

Colleges and universities would have only been able to ban guns if they provided secure storage lockers.

Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a version of Gould’s bill last year. He has said this year’s version addressed Brewer’s concerns, but Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson declined to comment on whether the governor would have signed this year’s bill.

The Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the state university system, released a report last month estimating that, under Gould’s proposal, it would cost millions of dollars for the universities to continue to ban guns.

“I don’t think that had any effect, because I think that was a bogus report,” Gould said. “Apparently, they were remodeling the fronts of buildings with lockers, which was ridiculous.”

Gould, who is running for Congress in Arizona’s newly drawn 4th Congressional District, is barred by term limits from returning to the Senate next year. Gould said he’s sure that someone will try to resurrect the campus-carry proposal next year.

Mike Gardener, a lobbyist for several community colleges, said he won’t accept the proposal is dead until the session ends.

“Nothing is really dead around here.”