Proposed campus gun ban unveiled

A proposed gun ban on university campuses throughout the state was unveiled Tuesday, with several gun-rights groups saying the measure has no teeth and gives people "a false sense of security" on campus.

SB251, sponsored by Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights, would allow students to choose to room only with students who do not have concealed weapons permits and let faculty designate their offices as gun-free zones.

An individual faculty member would have to write a letter requesting no concealed weapons be allowed in his or her office, as well as post a sign declaring the office gun-free. The school would also be required to provide some type of secure gun storage outside of faculty offices so concealed carry permit holders could store weapons before entering a gun-free office.

"My big issue was that the Legislature should set policy," Bell said. "The main thing is the faculty seemed to feel strongly that they have a choice."

The legislation comes as a deal between university and legislative leaders after the Utah Supreme Court struck down the University of Utah's gun ban as illegal in September. The high court said the university could not adopt policies that are contrary to state statute.

"I think it's a very fair compromise. Of course from higher education's perspective, we would rather be able to set our own policies," said Dave Buhler, associate commissioner of higher education. "Obviously the Legislature has spoken, the Utah Supreme Court has spoken and now it's time to find some common ground so we cannot get distracted by this issue."

U. President Michael Young was not as enthused by the compromise, saying in a letter to U. faculty this week that it is "not all that we hoped for." Young did agree, however, to drop pending federal claims to revive the gun ban if the legislation passes.

But the bill can expect a fight from gun activist groups, said Clark Aposhian, chairman of the Utah Concealed Weapons Permit Review Board.

Aposhian said he's particularly concerned that the bill doesn't include any penalties for violating the gun-free zone rules. Without those sanctions, he said the bill simply imposes rules on citizens who likely would have not posed a threat anyway.

"This is going to do more harm than good. It's going to give people a false sense of security that bad guys won't be coming on the campus and harming anyone because they have a sign or a rule in place that is supposed to somehow stop them," he said. "Unless these signs are made of Kevlar and cover the entire door, they are not going to do anything."