TexasCHLforum.com

Flightmare wrote:Did anyone else read question 7 on page 4?

“I have on several occasions seen students openly carrying guns on campus and in the workplace. It is always a shock and makes me feel unsafe."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the belief that campus carry was concealed only. Something here does not sound right.

Yes, concealed carry only. If he/she/it saw anything, it was probably the Corps color guard or the university police.

" the Workplace Climate and Diversity Committee of the TAMU Faculty Senate "

Boy does THAT sound like a fun group....

"Long story short, there doesn't appear to be a problem."

Ayup.

MommaBear wrote: ... One of the profs in my dept told me flat out that if he sees a gun or even a bulge that he thinks is a gun, then he's going to call the police every time. ...

I would document that, and I hope he told others. Wasting the cops' time is against the law, concealed carry is not.

In fact, I dunno if you have any concealed carry conspirators in the department, but I would be sorely tempted to leave my gun in the trunk of my can and talk everyone I could into wearing an obvious "bulge" for a couple days and let Professor Kneejerk make his calls. Then pull out some TENS units, phones & cases, etc, and let him rant.

JMod45 wrote:...
The question I have been asked the most, and I believe this would apply to any University in Texas. Can a department tell their employees that they are not allowed to carry? I know private companies can make such a rule, so would the same thing be a possibility?....

It's been awhile since I read the law enacted by the legislature, but as I understand it, licensed concealed carry is legal everywhere on campus that is not already off-limits by statute OR in areas designated as no-carry by the president of the university, and those rules are subject to modification only by the regents. That power was not delegated to anyone farther down the power chain, so I don't see how a department chair/supervisor/dean/whathaveyou could legally apply any further restrictions.

"(One small exception: Dorms operated by private companies will be allowed to ban guns if they want.) "

This doesn't seem right. I'd have to go back and read the bill again closely to see if having a private operator makes a legal difference, but if the dorms are university-owned, what's the difference, with respect to civil rights and safety, between a university operated dorm and a privately operated (but university owned) dorm?

The Dallas News Campus Carry Tracker got updated pronto!

SRO1911 wrote:What I'm planning as well. I start a week long class at the fire field this coming Sunday. . .
Not looking forward to a week 'naked'.
Lockbox in the truck will be used heavily - I'm just wondering what they might say to an empty holster, as it would be easier to just leave it on.

Might get exciting.

If you're in one of the fire houses, I suggest you keep the holster concealed under your bunker gear rather than open carry...er open holster, especially if it is kydex.

Have fun, I have been there many times, great training place. One of my guys will be there with you some place.

J.R.@A&M wrote:...
To my knowledge the only A&M System entities that have drafted rules are the AgriLife Extension and Research Agencies -- none of the schools (College Station, Laredo, Kingsville, Commerce, Canyon, etc.)

So if they don't do anything, the concealed carry is legal everywhere on campus, no? Too much to hope for, I suppose.

Still, it would become a Texas Legend if TAMU decided to go with only four rules starting with "All guns are always loaded."

I just remembered one other place on the College Station campus that has metal detectors: the George H.W. Bush museum. A couple years ago after the TEEX annual Municipal Fire School at Brayton Field, I stopped by the museum. I noticed some security guards at the door with a metal detector, so I shed a pointy object or two I had my pockets and went in. Soon as they saw my (VFD) uniform, they smiled and waved me by without going thru the "gauntlet."

I'm baffled by the "metal detectors" too; I've been around the campus at College Station a bit, and never saw any. ?? And I could quibble with the nonsense about being "comfortable", but overall I like his statement about concealed carry. I read it as telling the staff "look, concealed carry is not a problem, it's really in your head, deal with it" in polite university speak. At least hope that's what he meant.

J.R.@A&M wrote:I have more encouraging signs in the form of some draft rules by two institutions of higher learning within the Texas A&M University System (AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension). ...etc.

Good to hear!

TVegas wrote:While it would be nice (maybe even appropriate) for the general public to voice their opinion, I think limiting the responses to students, faculty, and staff will give a more accurate representation of opinions from people who the decision would actually impact....

Limiting the survey to students/faculty/staff would be useful in depicting the opinion of the campus population (and I think the law says the admin has to consult with those groups), but as far as decisions and impacts, no, they should not be all on their own. Public universities and colleges seem to love to promote the idea that they are little sovereign islands of authority, not subject (but amply funded by!) to legislators, the public, parents, the US Constitution (especially with respect to the 1A, 2A, and due process), nor the judicial process for politically charged crimes (see "rape culture" and the DOE's "Dear Colleague" letter). It is long since time to disabuse them of this notion.

Perhaps this little survey is not the place to start with that, but I hate to see them encouraged in this mindset in any way. One of the most useful effects of SB11 is as an instrument to help them realize the can't continue to suck billions of dollars from the tax payers in the state while denying them any say in how it is spent.

I believe that is the emotional basis for much of the angst of the anti-campus carry dolts on campus. Even more than their professed horror of 2A/guns/fully functional adults is their outrage that the people who pay for their buildings and tuitions and salaries have the audacity to think they have any say on campus about anything.