AUBURN, Ala. – The Alabama Senate Education Committee voted against a bill proposed by Sen. Hank Erwin, R-Montevallo, that would have allowed ROTC students and professors to carry firearms at Alabama universities March 26, according to The Auburn Plainsman.
Many are pleased the bill was not passed. For example, Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, said she received calls from security personnel and university presidents stating they did not support the bill.
Additionally, some ROTC students were against the bill passing. According to Tim Hammond, a junior in finance and cadet captain in Air Force ROTC, had the bill been approved, none of the people carrying the weapons would have the proper training for handling serious situations the bill aimed to prevent.
While Hammond did not want the bill to pass, both he and Erwin believe the whole Senate should have been allowed to vote rather than just the Education Committee.
For his part, Erwin believes more safety measures need to be taken at schools because students and faculty are always on the defensive. Figures agrees that more measures need to be executed; however, she feels faculty and students should be educated on the danger signs in people who may be a threat to campuses.
