The full Kansas House will consider a bill allowing people to carry handguns on college campuses.
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee approved H.B. 2353 on Wednesday. It would allow those with a concealed carry permit to bring a weapon into a state or city building if that building does not have metal dectors or security.
Rep. Forrest Knox (R-Altoona) introduced the bill. Knox tells The Lawrence Journal World, “As concealed carry has been adopted in state after state, experience across the nation has made clear that concealed carry not only benefits the individual, it benefits the society as a whole,” Knox said. “Crime decreases.”
The President and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents disagrees. In the same article, he says allowing weapons on campus increases the risk of violence. The board opposes the legislation.
In late 2011, the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County relaxed its policies to allow guns in some government-owned buildings. Weapons are still prohibited in City Hall, the Sedgwick County Courthouse, INTRUST Bank Arena and other buildings.
