House panel advances guns-on-campus proposal

— A House panel has advanced legislation that would allow faculty and staff at Arkansas’ colleges and universities to carry concealed handguns.

The House Education Committee on Tuesday approved a proposal by Republican Rep. Charlie Collins of Fayetteville to allow the concealed weapons on public college campuses. Collins says he plans to amend the proposal to allow public colleges and universities to opt out of allowing the weapons and revisit the issue annually.

The opt-out provision would let the schools make the decisions for specific campuses and buildings. His proposal already includes an opt-out provision for private colleges and universities.

The measure, which now heads to the House, is among several aimed at loosening state gun laws that legislators are considering after Republicans won the House and Senate last year.

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