As primary approaches, school gun debate lingers

State law now says concealed weapons permit holders can bring their guns into public schools and on to college campuses — but no one, particularly candidates for the office of governor, is exactly encouraging people to bring their guns to class.

The University of Utah has been at the center of controversy over whether guns should be allowed in public schools and colleges.

The U. is not giving in on its fight to uphold its own policy that prohibits staff, faculty and students from bringing guns on campus.

The Attorney General's Office challenged the policy in 3rd District Court last year and lost. The case was appealed and was supposed to be dropped after the 2004 Legislature amended state law to say schools don't have the right to regulate firearms.

But the debate now lingers in the Utah Supreme Court as the governor's race heads toward a June 22 Republican primary.

Gubernatorial candidate Nolan Karras simply said he supports the current state law on guns.

"I believe in upholding the law," he said.

Karras is chairman of the State Board of Regents, which oversees higher education in Utah (George Mantes is acting as chairman while Karras runs for office).

Regents told the 2004 Legislature that either they would like to set gun policies for all of public higher education or for lawmakers to treat higher education the same as churches, which retain the right to ban guns through a posted notice. The Legislature did not bend to regents' response to SB48 and instead passed Sen. Michael Waddoups' bill to amend the law.

Prior to the 2004 Legislature, state regents supported individual institutions' policies on guns, according to Commissioner of Higher Education Rich Kendell. Utah State University, for example, also had a gun policy, which required students to sign a "contract" that says they agree not to bring guns into residence halls.

"We want to keep colleges and universities free from weapons, knives, guns and other things that could interfere with the education process," Kendell said Wednesday.

Republican challenger Jon Huntsman Jr. — who, along with his running mate, Gary Herbert, obtained their own concealed weapons permits a couple of weeks ago — said the U. has the right to challenge the law but not to disobey it while challenging it in the courts.

"The court's ruling should be abided by," Huntsman said. "The rule of law must be respected, irrespective of what individuals or institutions think the law should be."