AUSTIN, TX (KLTV) -
State senators will be taking on the issue of concealed carry once more.
Senate Bill 182 was filed Thursday by a group of 14 state senators, including State Senators Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler) and Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville). If passed, it would allow for concealed carry permit holders to carry their concealed weapon on campuses of higher education.
Texas' Education Code defines those places as being a public junior college (such as Tyler Junior College), academic teaching institution (University of Texas at Tyler), medical or dental unit and state technical college (Texas State Technical College-Marshall). University system offices, Texas Agricultural Extension Offices and Texas Engineering Experiment Offices would also be covered under the proposal.
Private institutions have the choice to pass similar rules "after consulting with students, staff and faculty."
The bill would not allow for guns to be carried on to hospitals that are owned or operated by those institutions mentioned in the education code. Preschool, elementary and secondary schools that are located on higher education campuses would not fall under the proposal.
This is not the first time that concealed carry on campus. It surfaced eight times in the 82nd Legislative Session in 2011 and twice in the 81st Legislative Session in 2009, according to the Texas Students for Concealed Carry.
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