(AP) — The Louisiana House on Thursday voted down a proposal to allow concealed handguns on university campuses.
Lawmakers voted 86-18 to reject the bill, which drew heavy opposition from university and police officials.
The legislation, by Rep. Ernest Wooton, would have forced colleges in the state to allow people with concealed handgun permits to carry those weapons on the campuses — which are now so-called “gun-free” zones. Wooton, a Belle Chasse Republican, argued that his proposal would make college grounds safer.
But university administrators and police chiefs from around Louisiana lobbied against it, saying firearms would make college campuses more likely to suffer from shootings, both purposeful and accidental.
Wooton sponsored a similar bill last year but gave up on it in face of the same opponents.—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected]