Student Government President Cassie Alsfeld vetoed the Student Senate resolution endorsing Louisiana legislation which would allow guns on campus.
The Senate passed the resolution Thursday evening in a tie vote broken by Senate Speaker and SG President-elect Colorado Robertson.
If passed, Louisiana House of Representatives Bill No. 199 will allow concealed handgun permit carriers to bring their firearms onto Louisiana college campuses.
Alsfeld said approving the Senate resolution would paint an inaccurate picture of the majority of student opinion. She said because the Senate barely made quorum this past week and the decision was decided by a tie vote, she did not feel it showed accurate student representation. Alsfeld said she received numerous e-mails from senators and students urging her to veto it not only for similar reasons, but also for safety concerns.
Alsfeld said the Council of Student Body Presidents she met with this weekend also opposed bill No. 199. She said COSBP, which is made up of student body presidents in Louisiana, also drafted other resolutions concerning state legislation.
“We are drafting an official memo about [the gun bill] this week to submit to the Legislature,” Alsfeld said. “There was long and intense debate on the bill both at COSBP and in our Student Senate, and there were too many strong concerns both ways.”
—-Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]