UT panel unveils recommendations for campus carry gun policy

[Mreed911]

Article: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/...nel-unveils-gun-policy-recommendations/npgc9/
CC Working Group Recomendations: http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/news/documents/2015/12/10/CCWorkingGroup-FinalReport.pdf

Article text with my comments below.

A University of Texas committee has released its recommendations for how campus officials should implement the new state law that allows students to carry concealed handguns in buildings on campus, which takes effect Aug. 1, 2016.

The panel did not recommend that handguns should be kept out of classrooms, which is what the group Gun Free UT had requested in on-campus protests.

I think they got the gist of Patterson telling them "if you try to make this an 'everywhere' ban we'll take that power away from you" and realized the logistics of this would be a nightmare (and more dangerous). Imagine having to put lockboxes outside each classroom building, protect them from theft, vandalism, etc.

The committee did recommend a few places where guns should be prohibited, including areas such as the UT Elementary School or any grounds or building at which a K-12 activity is taking place.

Seems in keeping with existing law. So far so good.

The working group estimates that less than 1 percent of the university’s students will have a license to carry a concealed weapon, in part because the state requires a concealed handgun license holder to be 21 years or older. State data gathered by the group shows that about 4.5 percent of Texans have concealed handgun licenses.

That's good thinking and helps defray the "OMG GUNS R EVRYWRE!" mentality.

According to the recommendations, handguns, including those carried in backpacks, must be carried in a holster that completely covers the trigger; semiautomatic handguns must be carried without a chambered round of ammunition

I don't know if the law gave them power to do that. I suppose they could enforce it as a university regulation but it wouldn't be binding on non-students/faculty.

Among the panel’s other recommendations:

• Guns should generally be banned from dorms, but parents with licensed concealed handguns should be allowed in dorms.
• Guns should be allowed in common areas, such as lounges, dining areas and study areas.
• Guns should be allowed in married student housing, officially called University Apartments, though these should be stored in gun safes.
• Faculty and staff members who have offices can decide whether they want to allow students to carry concealed weapons into the offices.

Fair enough, considering most 21+ year olds don't want dorm rooms (but apartments) anyway. I'll be interested to see the legality/enforcement of CCW in offices and whether the offices will have to be individually 30.06 posted or they'll enforce this as a university rule with lesser postings.

 

[Mreed911]

I'm reading the working group PDF now and I'm really impressed.

Based on Texas DPS and University enrollment data, we estimate that less than one percent of our students will have a license to carry a handgun. We did not perform similar calculations for staff and faculty. According to Texas DPS and census data, however, license holders comprise about 4.5% of the Texas population aged 21 and older.

Our examination of states that already have campus carry revealed little evidence of campus violence that can be directly linked to campus carry, and none that involves an intentional shooting. We learned of four accidental discharge incidents. Two involved a license holder who was openly displaying a handgun to another person; the other two involved license holders who were carrying their handguns unholstered in their pants pocket.

We found that the evidence does not support the claim that a causal link exists between campus carry and an increased rate of sexual assault. We found no evidence that campus carry has caused an increase in suicide rates on campuses in other states.

This next one is interesting and I don't think the legislature has ever actually fixed, so it's problematic - how is Joe Public supposed to know if a field trip is coming, and what happens if they come AFTER he's already in the building?

The grounds or building on which an activity sponsored by a pre-K through 12 school or educational institution is being conducted. This would include, for example, the Blanton Museum of Art when a public school field trip is being conducted there.

Reading through, I see a lot of things that would be covered under student policies but not explicitly posted, like dorm carry. In order to allow parents, visitors, etc. to concealed carry but not students, the dorm would have to be un-posted and student carry outlined in school policies.

An interesting note on "office carry:"

The law has traditionally vested the occupant of an office with substantial control over his or her office space. The United States Supreme Court has recognized that government employees have a constitutionally-protected right of privacy in their offices. UT faculty, staff, and students who occupy offices to which they are solely assigned and that are not generally open to the public have traditionally been vested with the authority to control who may and may not enter. They have long exercised that discretion (unrelated to the concealed carry law) and should be able to continue to do so. We recommend that an office occupant must give oral rather than written notice to avoid the proliferation of signage that would otherwise be required.

And it looks like they addressed my 'gun locker' question above:

The primary on-campus activity for most of our more than 50,000 students is going to class. Excluding handguns from classrooms would have the effect of generally prohibiting license holders from carrying their handguns and so would violate S.B. 11.

The only possible way to avoid this result would be for the University to provide gun lockers at strategic points around campus. We believe that this would be extremely ill-advised for several reasons. Most significantly, every knowledgeable source we consulted unequivocally stressed the danger that accompanies the transfer of a handgun to a storage unit. A policy that increases the number of instances in which a handgun must be stored multiplies the danger of an accidental discharge. We believe this danger would be especially acute in gun lockers placed around campus. These are most likely to be used when a license holder is attempting to store a handgun while heading to class. It is all-too easy to imagine that there will be days when a license holder is running a bit late and thus will be less cautious in storing the handgun.

The Working Group concluded, without hesitation, that the risks to human life of placing gun lockers around campus would substantially outweigh any benefits that would accrue from banning concealed handguns in classrooms. Our charge from President Fenves was to make recommendations that would promote safety and security for all members of the campus in a way that is fully compliant with the law. Recommending that the University install and operate gun lockers around campus would be inconsistent with that charge.

Overall, I find this to be well-researched and well-written. Probably the best example we could have hoped for.

Now we'll see what the University actually does.

 

[zincwarrior]

I'm shocked out how calm the recommendation is. This will clearly cause a great freakout from the usual screaming suspects in the student body and professoriate.

 

[Mreed911]

I'm shocked out how calm the recommendation is. This will clearly cause a great freakout from the usual screaming suspects in the student body and professoriate.

Agreed.

 

[jrbfishn]

No matter what was recommended they were going to cream anyway.

from an idgit coffeeholic

 

[duckknot]

Wow....I'm actually impressed!

Should be fun watching the liberal filth that has infected college life spew lies and hatred in a last ditch effort to deny Americans their rights!

 

[zincwarrior]

One note is troubling KXAN is noting they recommended Israeli carry only. Correct me if I am wrong but I don't believe the relevant legislation permitted the university to choose the type of carry, only location.

 

[Mreed911]

One note is troubling KXAN is noting they recommended Israeli carry only. Correct me if I am wrong but I don't believe the relevant legislation permitted the university to choose the type of carry, only location.

I commented on that above. I believe that's true, but don't know if they can put that in the code of conduct for students/staff.

I also don't know how they'd check.

 

[locke_n_load]

I commented on that above. I believe that's true, but don't know if they can put that in the code of conduct for students/staff.

I also don't know how they'd check.

My thoughts exactly, and charles cotton over at chlforum has stated this as well.
And not being to able to carry in the dorms - hogwash.

 

[Mreed911]

And not being to able to carry in the dorms - hogwash.

Potentially, especially if dorms are residences for legal purposes. E.g. you would have to be evicted if you refused to leave, etc. I don't know the status on that.

 

[zincwarrior]

On the positive, there are extremely few 21 year olds in dorms.

 

[BRD@66]

Whoa! (ala Keenu Reeves)

 

[Armybrat]

On the positive, there are extremely few 21 year olds in dorms.

Very true - mostly freshmen & sophomores inhabit those beehives.

I wonder how many professors & staff are going to choose to carry on campus? Bet those who do will totally keep their mouths shut about it out of fear of being ostracized by the handwringers.

 

[bdee]

This is really good. These won't go into effect until August 2016 for 4 year colleges and August 2017 for junior colleges?

 

[jrbfishn]

Liberal 101.
Lesson 1. Never pass up an opportunity to panic.
Lesson 2. Never pass an opportunity to spread fear.
sent from an idgit coffeeholic

 

[motorcarman]

Maybe the Dems could dig up someone like Mark White or 'Ma' Richards to stop all this 'handgun carrying'. They ruled the day when long guns were the only thing you could drive around with.

Now it seems like 'anyone' can defend themselves against bad guys when they are 'out-and-about'.

WOW how times have changed.

bob

 

[bdee]

I'll be interested to see the legality/enforcement of CCW in offices and whether the offices will have to be individually 30.06 posted or they'll enforce this as a university rule with lesser postings.

Forgive my ignorance, but can a 30.06 be posted on government property?

 

[Mreed911]

Forgive my ignorance, but can a 30.06 be posted on government property?

No... But expect that to get argued by professors. And by argued I mean lawsuits.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Does a state funded community college count as government property? We've got big old 30.06 / 30.07 posted outside at all road entrances to our local campus.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

 

[Mreed911]

Does a state funded community college count as government property? We've got big old 30.06 / 30.07 posted outside at all road entrances to our local campus.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

Yes. 30.06/.07 is completely unnecessary there, too, through 2017.