Idaho Moves Forward on Campus Firearms Bill

Idaho lawmakers Thursday moved forward a bill that would allow firearms on public college campuses, the Idaho Press-Tribune reported Friday.

The House State Affairs Committee passed the measure, which now heads to the full House for a vote. The proposed legislation would prevent college administrators from placing restrictions on students who carrying firearms out in the open or on those who have concealed weapons permits.

State Rep. Erik Simpson, an Idaho Falls Republican who sponsored the bill, said the bill will increase safety at public universities and community colleges.
Some objected to guns at events such as sports, but Simpson argued that in Idaho, people are often exposed to others who carry guns.

“You sit next to people who carry guns in restaurants now. You shop in supermarkets where people carry weapons,” he said. “How is sitting next to someone at a football game different?”

Idaho code allows concealed firearms in places like the Statehouse, but not on state college campuses. The bill would allow college officials to regulate firearms in university-owned undergraduate housing.