(Updated: December 3, 2024)
Gov. Hobbs vetoes concealed weapons bill for Arizona colleges: On May 15, 2023, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs utilized her veto power to reject a proposed legislation that aimed to authorize the carrying of concealed weapons on college campuses. The legislation, known as House Bill 2667 and introduced by Rep. Rachel Jones from Tucson, sought to prevent Arizona college officials from barring individuals with concealed carry permits from bringing their firearms onto campus. The bill explicitly stated that universities, colleges, and community colleges should not enforce any policies or rules prohibiting the possession or transportation of concealed weapons by individuals with valid permits recognized under section 13-3112 or section 12-781.This recent veto by Governor Hobbs is just one instance in a series of proposed legislations that aimed to relax restrictions on guns within Arizona college campuses. Prior to this, several student groups at University of Arizona expressed apprehension about Senate Bill 1300 (S.B. 1300), a bill in the senate that shared strikingly similar language to H.B. 2667. Among those opposing the bill was the UA chapter of Students Demand Action, a nationwide organization dedicated to ending gun violence, who argued, much like Governor Hobbs, that allowing weapons on college campuses would only increase the risk of violence. Governor Hobbs had also vetoed a comparable piece of legislation earlier in the year. In April, she rejected Senate Bill 1331 (S.B. 1331), which aimed to permit parents with concealed carry permits to bring their firearms onto children school campuses. |