Texas Campus Carry Study

The Texas Legislature is in session every other year. During the off years, the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives has the authority to commission interim studies of important issues the legislature may or should address during the next legislative session. When the committee appointed to study specific issues completes it work, it issues an interim report.

Speaker of the House Tom Craddick assigned the House Committee on Law Enforcement several issues to study during the interim. One of the issues charged to the committee was to:

Monitor the impact of current Texas laws banning the carrying of firearms by holders of concealed carry licenses on the premises of educational institutions.

You can read the entire 2008 interim report (.pdf) or download just the portion pertaining to the Campus Carry Study (.pdf).

I had the opportunity to speak with one of the folks who testified before the committee and they were very enthusiastic about the hearing. It seems they had good reason for their enthusiasm.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Texas' concealed carry law has been in effect for over a dozen years, and statistics show that Concealed Handgun Licensees have amassed an impressive track record of law-abiding and responsible behavior over that time period. The committee does not believe that eliminating a geographical boundary beyond which they cannot currently go legally armed - in this case, college and university campuses - will suddenly transform them into dangerous and irresponsible individuals. Moreover, we do not believe that campuses will become overwhelmed by a new population of armed students: the minimum age requirements established in law serve to limit the number of adult students who would actually qualify for a license. And again, statistics provided to the committee indicate that individuals who fit into the age group most closely associated with the typical adult college student account for a very small fraction of the CHL population overall...

You should read the entire report. Representative Joe Driver, one of my favorite legislators, was the Chair of this committee and the report is very well done.

Thanks to Charles Cotton for the edited version of this report that includes only the campus carry study.

On a side note, it really is too bad that Tom Craddick is no longer the Speaker of the Texas House. Commissioning this study is just one of the many good things he has done for the State of Texas.