A bill to allow concealed weapons on campus cleared another hurdle Monday as a state Senate committee approved the measure 5-3.
The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 1467, which would prohibit universities and community colleges from banning concealed weapons on campus. If passed, anyone with a valid permit for a firearm could carry on campus.
Both Democrats on the committee, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Steve Gallardo, voted against the bill, as did Republican Sen. John McComish.
“I don’t think there’s any way we know in advance whether this bill would make us safer or less safe,” McComish said in the committee meeting. He told committee members he was voting against the bill to side with those who are responsible for campus safety.
ASU administrators and police have opposed similar measures in past years, saying concealed weapons would complicate emergency response efforts if there were ever an incident on campus.
The bill now goes to the full Senate for approval before being sent to the House of Representatives.
Reach the reporter at atsneed@asu.edu
