Dive Summary:
- Last Thursday, the day before the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., Michigan's legislature set off a contentious debate with the passing of Senate Bill 59, which allows people with a state Concealed Pistol License to earn the right with extra training to carry a gun in schools, churches and colleges--places that are currently pistol-free zones.
- University leaders are staying out of the debate over whether or not Gov. Rick Snyder should sign the bill because they were granted the legal authority to bar weapons on their campuses through a last-minute addition, greatly limiting the bill's affect on most campuses.
- Student groups are on opposite sides of the debate, with an editorial in the Michigan State student newspaper condemning concealed carry on the argument that more guns don't equal more safety and that unarmed students will feel less safe, while Michigan Students for Concealed Carry contends that allowing students to arm themselves for defense will make the currently pistol-free zones safer.
From the article:
Senate Bill 59 would allow people with a state Concealed Pistol License to earn the right to carry a gun in what are currently pistol-free zones. By taking extra training, gun owners would be legally allowed to carry concealed weapons into public areas like schools or stadiums. With the change in concealed carry laws, the bill would also ban openly carrying weapons in these pistol-free zones, currently legal for the proper permit. ...