Kansas State University is taking a unique path toward allowing concealed guns on its campuses.
A university Weapons Advisory Work Group is attempting to instate a new gun policy on campus following a forum on the idea in September, according to kstatecollegian.com.
The vast majority of university campuses that allow concealed weapon permit holders to carry guns do so because of state laws. There are currently five states in the country that require public colleges to allow guns on campus.
Campus Safety has previously reported on attempts by members of college communities in those five states to prevent guns on campus. Those attempts have ranged from formal legal challenges to bizarre student protests.
At Kansas State, the work group revised its policy proposal following the forum and recently submitted it to President Richard Myers for review. Following Myers’ review, the policy will be submitted to the Kansas Board of Regents for final approval.
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The current KSU policy states, “To the extent allowed by law and except as otherwise provided therein, the campus of each state university shall be weapons-free.”
Last year, Kansas passed a law allowing people 21 and older to carry a concealed weapon in public without a license or permit. Key to the new KSU gun policy’s passage is the fact that the current law exempting universities from last year’s public carry law will expire on July 1, 2017.
KSU Police Lieutenant Brad Millington says he doesn’t anticipate any changes to his department as a result of the policy. He declined to give his personal views on the subject of guns on campus.
Riley County, where the KSU campus is located, has 1,926 applications for concealed handguns submitted.
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