Under current law, license holders can carry guns on the grounds of public colleges and universities but they are barred in campus buildings. Guns never should have been allowed on campuses in the first place.
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The proposed legislation from Rep. Jesse Kremer and Sen.
Kremer’s and LeMahieu’s intent is a noble one: to provide a safer environment for all.
To us, as law enforcement professionals at UWPD, the evidence does not support the idea that our campus would be safer if concealed firearms are allowed in our buildings.
A new proposed bill could allow students at Wisconsin state universities to carry guns inside of the schools. This is a serious issue and there are many questions to consider. “Guns should not be in classrooms”.
“If you go to create a gun free zone, the people who obey these rules are the law-abiding citizens, not the criminals”, he said. The training required to obtain a concealed carry permit in Wisconsin is grossly inadequate. One of these options is the hunter’s safety class that many take when they are still teenagers. “A rifle is very different than a handgun”.
Michael Wagner, associate professor in UW’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said he didn’t think the legislation would necessarily add to campus security.
“I don’t necessarily believe that guns in the buildings are going to be a positive for campus”, Tarmann said. The greater risk is that more arms means more shootings and more deaths. “Somebody could get hurt”.
UW-La Crosse senior Jacob Pusateri says recent shootings on college campuses around the country hasn’t effected students at UW-La Crosse. However, Kremer said it’s not a direct response to the incident.
“Crime is on the rise around the campus, and there is nothing stopping them because these students walking to campus are disarmed”, Kremer said. Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) comes less than two weeks after a gunman killed nine people at an Oregon community college.
A multi-decade study from Stanford University concluded that state concealed carry laws are associated with an increase in violent crime.
The few instances when guns are used lawfully in self defense do not adequately rationalize the abundance of hide carry laws across the nation.
“The study found that in 2012, there were only 259 justifiable homicides involving a private citizen using a firearm”, VPC’s website states.
The UW System released a statement Tuesday on behalf of President Ray Cross and UW System chancellors. But it included a clause allowing a few public institutions to prohibit weapons inside buildings. “I proudly represent a big chunk of UW-Madison and I know it wasn’t the students, it wasn’t the parents and it definitely wasn’t the majority of staff and faculty”. “In fact, we regularly practice these protocols so we can be prepared to jump into action if needed”.
Michigan State University also vocally opposed the bill.
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Throughout the University of Wisconsin System, you will find signs banning firearms in all campus buildings.
