Texas house approves handguns on college campuses bill

[rl6214]

By Dave Montgomery
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
AUSTIN — After an emotional 51/2-hour hearing, the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee voted 5-3 Wednesday night to advance legislation to allow concealed handguns on college and university campuses.

House Bill 750, by Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, would allow holders of concealed-handgun permits to carry their weapons in campus buildings. It would keep a ban on guns in bars, churches, hospitals and athletic events at colleges.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/17/2119319/texas-house-approves-handguns.html#ixzz1GrKe7epz

Happy, happy, joy, joy

[LaurenG]

1. really? As if most of them are even ready for a relationship much less a weapon.

College kids are sometimes just large 8 year olds. What a mess this could be.

[GreenStormCloud]

3. College ADULTS.

You have to be 21 to get a CHL. Texas CHL holders have proven themselves to be extremely reliable with their weapons. CHL holders have a conviction rate of 1/40th of 1%. That is .025%. 25 out of 100,000. Out of 400,000 CHL holders only ONE person last year was convicted of a murder. Cops are more dangerous to you than CHL holders.

[LaurenG]

4. Uh huh. So now make it legal for 21 year old college kids to have weapons

on campus. 21 is not some magic age, though many people are good to go by that age many more are not. I have no predictive ability but I'm going to say that this is not the best law to enact.

I am a gun owner and just happened to be married to a cop for nearly 20 years. During that time there were many more shootings done by young people than cops. Oh and in case you didn't realize it young people are far more willing to fire a weapon because they still think they're invincible. Ask any cop around and they'll tell you the odds.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Now you'll get the resident cop-bashers all stirred up.

But they need a reality check now and then.:thumbsup:

[GreenStormCloud]

7. CHL holders only.

Not just anybody. It is strictly for those who apply for, take the training, and pass the test, submit to an FBI background investigation, fingerprinted and photographed, and pay the fee that can get a CHL. BTW - You are aware that a person can be a cop at age 21 aren't you? Since you consider 21 as too young then perhaps you should try to get the age to be a cop raised too.

You try to make it sound like the bill will allow anybody to carry concealed, even without a CHL.

[LaurenG]

8. I'm not trying to make it sound like anything and I'm glad that at least they are doing that much.

[Atypical Liberal]

9. Speaking of odds, let's look at the data for Texas CCW permit holders

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=118&topic_id=374332

This is the rate of conviction for CCW permit holders in Texas for everything from Public Lewdness to Homicide:

2007 0.2612%
2006: 0.2340%
2005: 0.2530%
2004: 0.1648%
2003: 0.1422%
2002: 0.1597%
2001: 0.2437%
2000: 0.2718%

That's about one-quarter of a percent. This is far, far less of a rate than non-CCW permit holders.

The bottom line is CCW permit holders are hardly ever involved in crime - any crime. It's highly unlikely that they will be involved in crimes on college campuses, either.

[LaurenG]

11. I can't speak to this (out of my realm) but I'm glad that the results have been so good. nt

[Atypical Liberal]

13. And it's consistent for other states, also.

Not all states have made their CCW permit data accessible like Texas has, but Florida, Ohio, and a few others have. Probably most of them do it's just a matter of hunting it down.

For the states whose data has been posted here, the situation always plays out the same - the rate of criminal conviction and/or the rate of permit revocation is tremendously small.

When you think about it, this should not be surprising.

Getting a CCW permit is somewhat of a pain in the butt, all for a completely voluntary endeavor. While the details vary from state to state, generally, you have to go to your local sheriff, fill out the permit, pay a fee, get fingerprinted, have a background check, and take a training course, then wait for your paperwork to be processed. In other words, people who go to the trouble of carrying a firearm legally go out of their way to obey the absolute letter of the law to do so. They are, in other words, highly conscientious when it comes to obeying firearm laws. It should not be surprising, therefore, that such people are conscientious about obeying laws in general.

This is not to say, of course, that CCW-permit holders never break the law, or never commit crimes with firearms. They do. It is just an extremely rare occurrence.

Whenever this debate about firearms on college campuses comes up, it always inspires fearful exclamations about "drunk college kids with guns". To me, it's mostly about the ever-increasing number of adults, like myself, who attend night school after working all day.

[PavePusher]

15. So, do 21 year-old CCW holders have a significant crime problem off-campus?

You seem to be purposely ignoring the point here.

[rl6214]

5. 21 and over

They are old enough to vote, be peace officers, be in the military, responsible enough (supposedly) to drink. I was married at 22, not all 21 year olds are immature "large 8 year olds".

[slackmaster]

10. How is a 21-year-old college student different from a 21-year-old non-student?

Serious answer, if you please.

[GreenStormCloud]

2. That was just the committee. The full House takes up the bill next week. N/T

[armueller2001]

12. Irresponsible reporting. They are wrong about a ban on churches and hospitals.

It is only illegal to carry in those places if they post a properly worded 30.06 sign.

It must have the exact wording of the sign on the left, in both English and Spanish. It must be conspicuously posted at all entrances.

If it does not meet these criteria? CARRY ON.

[DWC]

14. It is long overdue. n/t

[Hoopla Phil]

16. Great news! n/t