Gov. Kasich signed House Bill 48 on Dec. 19, which allows concealed carry weapon (CCW) license holders to carry in various previously prohibited places, including airports, police stations, daycare facilities, and college campuses.
Capital’s Board of Trustees will have the final decision on whether or not to allow concealed carry on campus, as well as the ability to enact specific restrictions. If the university elects not to allow concealed carry, the law would reduce the charge if a CCW license holder carries on campus from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Mary Kleffer, a sophomore student and RA, said she hopes that the board of trustees would take students’ feelings toward the idea, both positive and negative, into account when they come to a decision.
“We’re the ones most affected by it,” she said.
Proponents of the law argue that it will help prevent mass shootings, by eliminating “unarmed victim zones,” areas where law-abiding citizens are not allowed to carry firearms.
Opponents however, claim that the current restrictions are reasonable, as police stations and college campuses are places where people are likely to have heated arguments, which become much deadlier with a firearm.
“I just don’t think it’s necessary on campus,” said first-year student Carlee Kime, although she said that she would love to eventually get her concealed carry license.
Another first-year student, Emily Simonton, said that she would feel more unsafe on campus if the idea were passed on by the board of trustees.
Obtaining a CCW license in Ohio requires that an individual be 21 years of age and complete eight hours of training, six in the classroom and two at a shooting range. This number was reduced from the original 12-hour requirement in March of 2015.
“Contrary to popular belief, college and university campuses are generally safe environments,” Chief Frank Fernandez of Capital University Police said. He also said that while it would not necessarily hurt campus safety, allowing concealed carry may make it more difficult for officers to differentiate between the “good” and “bad” guys if there were a problem.
“School can be a distracting and stressful environment,” Fernandez said. He said that this fact could create some safety concerns if a firearm is left unattended or accessible to others.
Universities in several states, including Colorado, Wisconsin, Oregon, Utah and Kansas have provisions that allow for the concealed carry of firearms on their premises. Many others have laws that allow weapons to be locked in parked automobiles while on school property.
The University of Houston made headlines in 2015 when a group of professors claimed that allowing guns in the classroom threatens free speech and safety, especially when discussing sensitive issues. Texas became the eighth state to allow concealed carry on college campuses in June of 2015.
The Ohio law, which had passed the House in November of 2015, passed the Senate along with a number of other measures pushed through before the end of its two-year legislative session. Another was the related Senate Bill 199, which allows active duty members of the armed services to carry a concealed fire arm without applying for a CCW.
Ironically, laws relating to the carrying of firearms in public spaces seem to be relaxing across the country while, at the same time, many states and the federal government are working to place more restrictions on their sale and purchase.
