BOISE — The Senate Affairs Committee heard a bill Monday that would change the firearms policy on public state college campuses and universities in Idaho.
Photos by Phillip Vukelich|Argonaut
Patrol officer Rick Whitmore unlocks the firearm vault at the Moscow Police Department’s University of Idaho campus substation.
If passed, the bill would bring Idaho into the small pool of states allowing guns on campus.
Called the S.E.C.U.R.E Idaho Campuses Act, the bill would permit retired law enforcement officers and law-abiding adults more than 21 years old who have acquired an Idaho enhanced concealed carry license to possess a firearm on public college and university campuses. Exceptions would include carrying within on-campus dormitories, “high-capacity” public entertainment and sporting facilities.
The hearing was originally scheduled for Friday, but was moved to allow for last minute edits to the bill.
Exactly how large a “high-capacity facility” is has yet to be determined. The original bill said 2,500 seats would be the standard for “large seating capacity,” but it has since decreased to 1,500. The capacity was again decreased to 1,000 seats in Monday’s presentation of the bill.
The bill was presented by chairman of the committee, Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa. McKenzie said the bill didn’t require any changes to the current state enhanced carry requirements.
“We didn’t make a different (firearm license) standard — there are no recurring requirements,” McKenzie said. “Once you have the enhanced carry license, you don’t have to go through another class in order to keep it.”
The University of Idaho currently bans students from bringing firearms, ammunition or archery devices on campus, whether on a person or in a vehicle, but allows individuals to store them in a police substation on campus. Students can then check their guns out from the station for use at any time.
ASUI President Max Cowan said this isn’t the first time Idaho has encountered a bill of this kind. In spring of 2011, the state senate brought forth a bill regulating open carry on campuses. Following the announcement of that bill, ASUI issued a rebuttal in favor of keeping gun-regulation powers in the hands of the individual universities.
Cowan said ASUI will gather student input on the upcoming bill because student voices need to be heard concerning such a hot-button topic. He said the basic differences found between Idaho’s numerous post-secondary campuses need to be taken into account before an over-arching piece of legislation is passed.
“I think those concerns are still very real,” Cowan said. “Each of the universities (in Idaho) are so different — Boise State University is a commuter college and UI is a residential college — this is our home.”
Cowan said students should share their views and opinions with the members of ASUI. To share, find ASUI on the UI web page and select “Feedback.”
“It’s much more important to have conversations and much less important to have numbers,” Cowan said.
McKenzie said it is also considered a misdemeanor if an individual uses their firearm under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and would result in their concealed carry permit being revoked for a period of three years.
Within what McKenzie said is one of the more confusing elements of the bill, are the qualifiers of self-defense. He said no crime would be committed if someone shot another individual while protecting their or another persons life.
Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise, said the bill’s self-defense rhetoric supports more individuals carrying guns.
“It appears then that what we’re doing is providing an exception to carrying within a dormitory or residence or entertainment facility when we have cases of self defense,” Werk said. “I’m a little confused — if you’re not supposed to have (a firearm) within those venues, how are the self-defense operative — unless you come from outside to come inside with a weapon.”
In a lawsuit brought against UI in 2011, second-year law student Aaron Tribble said the university’s ban on firearms in his on-campus apartment infringed upon his constitutional rights.
The university released a statement regarding its policies, in response to the lawsuit.
“It affirms our position that the university does have the legal authority to regulate firearms on campus, including in university-owned residences. Our firearms policy has been part of the faculty/staff and student handbooks since the mid-1970s,” the statement said.
Chloe Rambo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @CRchloerambo