Kansas House likely to resume debate over guns on campus

The Kansas House appears poised to debate again whether concealed firearms should be allowed on college campuses.

Publicly funded universities and hospitals will be required to allow concealed guns in their facilities starting in July under a law the Kansas Legislature passed in 2013 that opened most public buildings to firearms.

Legislation that would indefinitely extend exemptions for universities, hospitals and community health centers has failed to advance in either chamber this session. A coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats will attempt to pass the legislation in the House on Tuesday.

House Minority Leader Jim Ward, D-Wichita, made a procedural motion Monday to bring an unrelated gun bill to the floor for debate.

If Ward’s motion gets 63 votes Tuesday, it will open an opportunity for lawmakers to offer the legislation barring guns from college campuses and hospitals as amendments. Those amendments would be germane only to a bill that deals with firearms under the Legislature’s rules.

“There’s a lot of people in the state of Kansas who are concerned about gun safety in these facilities and want to know where their representatives stand,” Ward said in a phone call.

Ward said GOP leadership had put up roadblocks to the legislation throughout the session. “We’re going try to get around that tomorrow,” he said Monday.

Olathe Republican House Speaker Ron Ryckman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about that.

The underlying bill, HB 2042, deals with the recognition of out-of-state concealed carry permits in Kansas.

In 2015, Kansas eliminated a requirement that a person undergo training and a background check to obtain a concealed carry permit, but it has continued to maintain reciprocity with other states where permits are required.

Rep. Stephanie Clayton, R-Overland Park, who has spearheaded efforts to prevent guns on campuses, said she was optimistic that an amendment to restrict guns at the state psychiatric hospitals in Osawatomie and Larned would pass with bipartisan support.

However, she was less optimistic that an amendment to restrict guns on college campuses could obtain the 63 votes needed to pass. “And as a parent who is looking at colleges for a child who will soon be of age, I find that very concerning,” she said.

Clayton said lawmakers on both sides of the issue have been eager to have this debate, leaving little doubt that Ward’s motion to force a debate would pass.

“Will this be a nail-biter? Yes, because even more moderate Republicans tend to vote for their guns,” Clayton said. “I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’m also concerned.”

Moriah Day, director of the Kansas State Rifle Association, said the organization is “adamantly opposed to any efforts to restrict lawful concealed carry on our campuses.” He said the current law already gives colleges the ability to prevent guns on campus if they adopt “adequate security measures” such as metal detectors and armed guards.

“If they’re going to disarm you, the logic is that they should make sure that you stay safe,” he said.

This story was originally published April 3, 2017 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Kansas House likely to resume debate over guns on campus."