Texas Colleges Can’t Ban Guns on Campus

The law will force public colleges to allow licensed gun holders to bring concealed weapons into classrooms and dormitories.

The Texas attorney general announced colleges cannot ban handguns in campus buildings on Dec. 21.

The ruling elaborates on a law passed in May that allows concealed carry holders to bring guns onto college campuses.

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Since the passage of the law, which goes into effect August 1, a debate has centered on how much schools would be able to restrict gun rights on campus.

Attorney General Ken Paxton said in his statement that schools can’t ban guns from dorms, classrooms or other campus buildings but can establish rules for storing the weapons, according to usnews.com.

Paxton also said individual professors cannot have a say in gun rights in their classrooms.

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Private colleges can make their own gun restrictions because the law only affects public schools.

Officials from the University of Texas system, who have spoken out against the new gun law, did not comment on the AG’s statement.

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