Campus Carry Awaits Further Vote

SB 11 is on a fast track through the Senate after 19 co-authors provided the 2/3 votes required to pass the bill. The bill has passed through the special committee and is waiting to be placed on the intent calendar. The bill will go through the first of three votes while in the Senate.

 

Texas State officials have estimated the implementation of campus carry would cost the university $408,516 in security improvements if the bill passes, said Bill Nance, vice president for finance and support services.

 

Ralph Meyer, university police chief, wrote a state-required fiscal statement on the bill, Nance said. The fiscal note is a proposed budget detailing what the University Police Department (UPD) would need if the bill passes, Nance said.

 

The initial cost would be $65,000 a year with a gradual increase to $77,000 by the sixth year, he said. The fiscal note accounts for one additional officer’s salary and training, he said.

 

The total cost of executing campus carry in the Texas State University System would be $2.5 million, according to a Feb. 22 Houston Chronicle article. This system includes Texas State, Lamar University, Sam Houston State University and four two-year institutions, Nance said.

 

Officials with the Texas State University System estimate the cost of security improvements at $47 million over six years, according to the Houston Chronicle. The total cost to the four major university systems in Texas is estimated at $59.65 million dollars.

 

SB 11 is an unfunded mandate in its current form, according to the fiscal note.

 

The money would come from the university’s existing operations budget, which is funded by tuition and state-allotted money, said Provost Eugene Bourgeois.

 

“We would have to consider it as part of tuition,” Bourgeois said.

 

Bourgeois said no indication has been given that the State will give additional funds to the university.

 

Brian McCall, chancellor of the Texas State University System, has taken the first public stance on the issue on behalf of Texas State, Bourgeois said. McCall told the Texas Legislature Finance Committee he would prefer the bill allow each TSUS Board of Regents to set its own gun policy for the individual institutions.

 

Bourgeois said President Denise Trauth is not in favor of having guns on campus, and the university would most likely opt-out of campus carry if possible.

 

The Texas State Faculty Senate also opposes campus carry, according to a Feb. 18 University Star article.

 

The fate of the bill will be unclear until May, said Joanne Smith, vice president for student affairs. Deliberation could continue into the summer if the legislature goes into a special session, she said.

 

“(The president’s cabinet) has not discussed what would happen at this point,” Smith said. “We have to find out what the stipulations around the bill will be.”

 

Daniel Benitez, UPD captain, said the department has begun talking about offering training programs to students on active shooter situations. He said officers are discussing offering a class to students to show how UPD would handle an active shooter on campus.

 

“We want to put them in a real-life situation to see how they would handle it,” Benitez said.

 

Many students do not meet the requirements to carry firearms, Benitez said. Students must be 21 years old, take a class and receive their concealed handgun license as well as be able to afford a gun and ammunition to carry.

 

“Some 21-year-olds will understand the significance of carrying a gun,” Benitez said. “There are a lot of vets on campus, and I would feel very comfortable with them having (a gun).”

 

Benitez’s biggest fear is police would arrive on an active shooter scene and not be able to differentiate between the shooter and students or faculty members who also have a gun. He said teachers must be trained properly.

 

“They need to know what we expect from them,” Benitez said. “It’s a life-or-death situation.”

 

Benitez said there is not often a problem with students having guns, even off-campus. He hopes campus carry will not affect officer safety, but the department trains for the worst.

 

“Different factors come into play: alcohol, drugs, mental health and human emotion,” Benitez said. “Sometimes having a weapon doesn’t make it any better.”

 

Every officer receives over 100 hours of gun training a year, Benitez said. They also participate in Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT), which helps officers prepare for an active-shooter situation.

 

“When it comes to an active shooter, the community comes first,” Benitez said.

 

The San Marcos Police Department has not publically commented on the bill.

 

“It’s premature to give a statement until we see what the legislation is going to be,” said Penny Dunn, SMPD assistant police chief.

 

Benitez said past legislation has received equal support and was not passed.

 

“We will comply with legislation and do whatever it takes to make our campus safe,” Benitez said.