Missouri lawmakers consider concealed weapons in colleges

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers have begun discussing whether colleges and universities must allow people to carry concealed weapons on campus.

A Senate committee heard testimony Wednesday on two bills that would expand gun access on campuses. One bill would permit a school to ban concealed firearms only if it posts armed guards and metal detectors at every entrance to every building on campus. The other would allow anyone with a concealed-carry permit to bring a gun to campus, but certain areas, such as large stadiums and places of worship, still would be exempt.

The bills' sponsors say they intend their proposals to apply to public schools as well as private schools that receive state money. Similar bills are awaiting committee hearings in the House.

Administrators currently are allowed to remove someone from campus for carrying a concealed weapon, though it's not a criminal offense if the person has a concealed-carry permit.

Sen. Brian Munzlinger, the Williamstown Republican who sponsored one of the bills, said a mass shooter can kill someone every few seconds. Law enforcement typically takes a few minutes to arrive, he said, while a law-abiding citizen with a gun and the proper training can take immediate action.

Republican lawmakers also criticized schools that don't allow their uniformed security officers to carry guns.

"Making good people helpless doesn't make bad people harmless," said Sen. Bob Dixon, the Springfield Republican who sponsored the other bill.

University officials testified against the bills, though some students voiced support.

Missouri State University president Clif Smart said binge alcohol drinking and mental health crises are more common in college, and adding guns to that mix would be a bad idea. He estimated it would cost his school $45 million to station guards and metal detectors at every door.

Southwest Baptist University president C. Pat Taylor said he worried more guns on campus would lead to more suicides.

A better way to prepare for threats is more training for students and staff, said Kenny Mayberry, the assistant director of the Southeast Missouri State University's police department. Few people with concealed-carry permits practice shooting as often as law enforcement, he said, and police typically miss most of their shots in an active situation.

Eight states allow people to carry-concealed weapons on campuses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a nonpartisan research organization. Nineteen states have banned concealed weapons on college campuses as of October, and 23 states leave the decision to the schools, according to the NCSL.