Louisiana House votes to let permit holders carry guns on college campuses

A discussion on the Louisiana legislation can be found here:

BATON ROUGE -- Despite opposition from student government leaders and top state education officials, a House committee Thursday took the first step toward allowing authorized concealed weapons on college campuses.
Members of the Committee on the Administration of Criminal heard emotional arguments on both sides for three hours before voting 11-3 for House Bill 199 by Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, a former sheriff and the panel's chairman.

The panel rejected an amendment to exempt private colleges from the bill. The measure heads to the House floor for debate.

State law now bans guns from being carried onto college campuses as well as other sites, such as the State Capitol, police stations, courts, churches and governmental buildings.

"We are not going to have 20,000 students lining up tomorrow morning to get a concealed weapons permit" if this bill passes, Wooton said. He said it is designed to give student a more secure feeling in light of recent violence on campus. The bill requires that the gun holder be 21 years old and have a valid concealed weapons permit. . . .