UT profs can make "gun free" zones out of offices

[TexasJohnBoy]

https://www.texastribune.org/2016/07/13 ... rry-rules/

[ELB]

The bigger news is that they got rid of the nutty "no chambered round" rule.

I'll be interested to see if the rule allowing profs to individually ban licensed concealed carry in their offices survives. If only a few professors do it, then it won't attract much interest, but if a lot of professors do, then it would seem to cross over into the realm of trying to generally prohibit licensed concealed carry.

[doncb]

Interesting that the article stated that guns will not be allowed in dormitories at some campuses
including UT Austin. I thought that would be a non-starter.

[Skiprr]

UT-Austin President Greg Fenves had previously argued that a "chambered-round" provision, which would have prohibited people carrying on campus from keeping a bullet in their gun chambers, was needed to prevent guns from accidentally firing off.

[The Annoyed Man]

UT-Austin President Greg Fenves had previously argued that a "chambered-round" provision, which would have prohibited people carrying on campus from keeping a bullet in their gun chambers, was needed to prevent guns from accidentally firing off.

Has he talked to his boss? You know.....McRaven, the former navy SEAL? If HE affirms that possibility, then we know the fix is in.

[dlh]

Wonder if a lawsuit will be filed in state district court (yes, we know about the frivolous suit filed by the professors in federal court) challenging the rules implemented by the Board of Regents?

How many conceal-carriers will live in dormitories on the University of Texas? (remember, conceal-carriers must be at least 21 years of age). I bet most upper-classmen and graduate students live off campus. However, for those who live on campus--where will they store their handguns at night? What if they do not have cars? If they have cars then maybe vehicle thefts will increase...

At least they got rid of the "no round in the chamber" provision which clearly exceeded any authority given to them under the statute.

[Glockster]

I feel so uninformed as I didn't know that any professors had "their own" offices on campus. Silly me thought that was university property, you know, owned by the taxpayers who pay for them.

[LucasMcCain]

"Sorry professor. I need to speak with you, but I have to stand here in the hall and talk to you from just outside your doorway."

[JALLEN]

Wonder if a lawsuit will be filed in state district court (yes, we know about the frivolous suit filed by the professors in federal court) challenging the rules implemented by the Board of Regents?

How many conceal-carriers will live in dormitories on the University of Texas? (remember, conceal-carriers must be at least 21 years of age). I bet most upper-classmen and graduate students live off campus. However, for those who live on campus--where will they store their handguns at night? What if they do not have cars? If they have cars then maybe vehicle thefts will increase...

If there were any living in the university owned dorms, there won't be any more.

When I was at UT, ~50 years ago, freshman and sophomore males, and all women under 21, had to live in "approved" housing, not necessarily UT owned. The Board of Regents of that day could not bring itself to require private landlords to accept Negroes, so they scrapped the whole idea of approved housing; we could live anywhere we wanted. This touched off a building boom that Austin had never seen the likes of, and maybe even not since.

[JALLEN]

UT-Austin President Greg Fenves had previously argued that a "chambered-round" provision, which would have prohibited people carrying on campus from keeping a bullet in their gun chambers, was needed to prevent guns from accidentally firing off.

Has he talked to his boss? You know.....McRaven, the former navy SEAL? If HE affirms that possibility, then we know the fix is in.

I believe McRaven generally supported the campus gun ban.

"Whose salt you eat, whose song you sing."

The Regents have spoken on the round in the chamber idea.

I watched the recent Commencement on Longhorn TV. The music was very impressive, the clown show of all those professors in absurd costumes, and their antics, far less so.

[TexasJohnBoy]

I have issue specifically with allowing everyone and their dog with an office on campus to magically say that their offices are gun free zones.

This, to me, is obviously outside the intent of the law. The president and regents make the call on "gun free zones" not every person that works on campus. Let's apply the "political subdivision" status to this argument. Can every city secretary of each city say their office is off limits? No!

[bblhd672]

Well, at least the deranged student will know the professors offices are prime gun-free killing zones.

[rp_photo]

It would seem to me that state law should apply consistently to public universities with no options for "tweaking" whereas private universities can do as they see fit.

As the law stands now, it's the equivalent of bars having the option of not posting 51%.

[Soccerdad1995]

I am not an expert on the law here, but are there no guidelines on what areas can be declared off limits and also on who is authorized to make this determination? It seems that this decision may be counter to the actual law.

At a minimum, this is more evidence that the folks running our universities cannot be trusted with discretion in determining areas that meet the legal requirements for exclusion of LTC holders. Much as with government owned property, I think we need to take this discretion away and just eliminate the ability to restrict carry on any publicly owned land or premises.