Texas A&M’s Student Senate passed the Personal Protection Act Wednesday evening, which proposes the acceptance of a policy that would allow students with concealed carry permits to carry firearms on campus for self-defense.
Cary Cheshire, political science senior who presented, said passage of the act would extend firearm and safety rights to areas that should already have them. Cheshire said students and citizens should be able to protect themselves just as well on campus as they can in areas where concealed carry is lawful, such as the mall or local businesses.
“What will happen is individuals will be able to protect themselves, because the state, the university, et cetera, are not going to protect them,” Cheshire said.
Timothy Broderick, poultry science senior and Residence Hall Association president, opposed the bill due to concerns from the perspective of the Residence Hall Association.
“Speaking from a personal opinion and as president of the Residence Hall Association, I am against this bill,” Broderick said. “With the campus culture we have, the current measures, the UPD, the Corps escorts, other support sources here, I believe we do a better job of preventing problems, especially of a violent nature.”
The bill was passed with a vote of 39 for, 12 against and six abstaining.
Representatives of the Graduate and Professional Student Council presented a resolution that opposes the act.
The act now moves to student body president Kyle Kelly’s desk, where he has seven days to sign or veto it. Kelly said he is not certain what his decision is going to be.
“There are so many moving parts to this and so many people involved and I take this very very seriously,” Kelly said. “I would hope to have a decision to make by the end of the week as far as signing and vetoing, but there are a couple of details that have to be done, and I think that’s in the best interest of all of us.”