A Kansas law will require universities to allow concealed guns on campus starting next year. Some lawmakers want to amend the policy in the coming legislative session, but Governor Sam Brownback said this week he’s not in favor of that. Stephen Koranda reports on what that could mean for efforts to amend the rule.
Brownback said he’s not inclined to support changing the Kansas law, because carrying a firearm is a constitutional right.
Emporia State University Political Science Professor Michael Smith says Brownback’s opposition is a big hurdle for people who want to change the law, because it’s pretty unlikely there would be enough votes to override a veto. But smith says maybe there could be a compromise. For example, let each individual university community decide.
“A sort of campus autonomy, let the campus vote on it. I assume that would be a combination of the faculty senate and the student government,” says Smith.
Smith says there’s a solid local-control argument for a change like that, which could appeal to some Republicans.