Idaho House panel backs bill allowing guns on campus

Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho

A bill to allow students, staff and visitors to carry guns on Idaho’s college campuses was passed out of a legislative committee Friday afternoon, despite objections from students, multiple police chiefs and leaders of all eight of the state’s public colleges.

The measure would allow retired law-enforcement officers and those with Idaho’s new enhanced concealed-carry permit to bring their firearms onto campus. Concealed weapons still would be barred from dormitories, stadiums and concert halls.

The 11-3 party-line vote sends the issue forward to debate on the House floor. The Senate passed the bill earlier this month.

If the measure becomes law, Idaho would join six other states with provisions — either from lawmakers or dictated by court decisions — that allow concealed- carry on campus: Colorado, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Utah is the only state with a specific law that forbids universities from banning concealed-carry at any of its 10 public institutions.