Campus Safety Preserved For Second Year in a Row

Tallahassee, FL. — On Friday, March 11th, the Florida Legislature adjourned without passing SB 68 in the Senate (previously passed by the House), legislation that would have forced Florida’s public colleges and universities to allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry virtually anywhere on campus.

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus (The Campaign), along with coalition partners that included the League of Women Voters of Florida, the Association of Florida Colleges, United Faculty of Florida, as well as student government associations and campus groups all advocated to help defeat guns on campus legislation for the second year in a row.

Kathryn Grant, Southeast Region Director of The Campaign stated, “Campus community stakeholders have made it clear all along that they strongly oppose the imposition of loaded firearms on their colleges and universities. They know that campus law enforcement and professional security experts are best equipped to keep them safe. “

Jennifer Proffitt, President of United Faculty of Florida remarked, “The notion that dramatically increasing the number of deadly weapons on our campuses is good public policy has been and continues to be pure folly driven by the gun industry lobby. It represents a fundamental threat to our students, faculty, staff, and members of the general public who use these public facilities. It is also a threat to the spirit of Higher Education, for the guarantee of a safe space for exploring and challenging intellectual inquiry is paramount.”

Jacob Elpern, President of The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus at FSU, said, “It is clear from talking to students on campuses across the state that this is not a partisan issue. Students that are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents believe that we must work together to make sure our campuses are safe and allowing people to carry everywhere on campus simply won’t enhance campus security.”  

Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of The Campaign closed by saying, “This victory comes at crucial time, as we continue to see bills filed around the country where the gun lobby is moving in an aggressive fashion to undermine campus safety by advocating for loaded, concealed weapons on campus.  We applaud the bi-partisan leadership in the Florida State Senate that paved the way for the demise of this wrongheaded policy.”