For Immediate Release                                                       

(NY, NY, July 19, 2012) As most state legislatures’ sessions draw to a close, an important plank of the gun lobby’s extremist agenda – forcing hidden and loaded handguns onto college campuses failed miserably in 2012, as guns on campus bills were defeated in 12 states.  All told, fourteen states introduced some form of legislation that would have forced colleges and universities to allow students and/or faculty to carry guns on campus. (Legislation is still pending in two states – Michigan and Ohio.)

 

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus continued to build its list of schools and advocacy network and helped defeat guns on campus legislation in places like Arizona, Georgia and Kansas.  In 2012, twelve states rejected guns on campus bills: Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

 

“College administrators, faculty, students, parents, and concerned citizens continue to join the fight by rejecting the notion that more guns make us safer,” said Andy Pelosi, director of The Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus.  “The results from the above states demonstrate that colleges and universities can win on this issue, but they have to be willing to fight.

Since the Campaign was launched in late 2008, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and more than 345 colleges and universities in 39 states have signed onto a resolution opposing legislation that would take away an educational institution’s right to prohibit or adopt policies to regulate possession of firearms on campus. View the list of supporting institutions:  https://www.keepgunsoffcampus.org/list.html

Added Pelosi, “Allowing guns on college campuses also reduces a school’s competitive position. The best administrators, faculty, staff, and students have choices about where they work or go to school.  Forcing guns on college campuses will make it more difficult for colleges and universities to attract the best faculty, staff and students.”

 

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Contact:  Andy Pelosi, 914-629-6726 ([email protected])