On June 1, 2015, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 11 passed by the 84^th Texas Legislature. This bill is also known as the “campus carry” law. While Tarleton State University has yet to make a decision regarding the campus’s rules and regulations, current and former students seem to have mixed emotions regarding the new law.

Those in favor of it focus on how it makes them feel safer knowing they or someone around them will have the ability to defend themselves and others in the chance that an attacker is on campus.

“I am in favor of this new law,” said Tarleton alumni Troy Daniell. “People who will be allowed to carry will only be certified to carry or will be police officers. It will not be a free for all, as some believe. It will increase the deterrence of crime, and I want my daughter to feel safe and be able to defend herself when she attends Tarleton someday.”

Junior Taylehr Lazuick is a Colo. native who transferred to Tarleton during the fall 2013 semester from Aims Community College in Greeley, Colo. She noted how she views the new law to be a good move for the university and how she hopes it will help to prevent her new home from being added to the list of school shootings.

“I agree with the campus carry law. For one, it’s a law that allows only for concealed handgun license holders to carry on campus. It’s not open carry. I have yet to receive my handgun license, but I know that guns don’t make me feel uncomfortable. It may make some feel uncomfortable because they didn’t grow up around them; however, receiving a license to carry is a privilege, not a right, and there are laws that must be abided by in order to get one,” commented Lazuick. “Hypothetically, if a gunman knew a campus allowed concealed guns on their grounds, the gunman may not want to go in that direction. While, yes, it may not stop him, but the person sitting next to you in class may stop a Columbine or Aurora type shooting from happening. Being from Colorado, where those events happened, I am a strong advocate for gun education and the campus carry law.”

Students against the new law are concerned that those with a license to carry could possibly decide to begin shooting randomly while on campus.

“I don’t exactly agree with the campus carry law,” said senior Claire Wilkison. “A lot of people have access to a gun, regardless of if they have a license for it or not. What if a Tarleton student does have a gun and decides to come on campus and start shooting? Despite the amount of testing required to obtain a license, anything can happen.”

Tarleton Chief of Police Matthew Welch spoke with JTAC News via email regarding the law and the risks that may come with it.

“Statistically, CHL holders are more law abiding than the average citizen,” said Welch.

The Campus Carry Council (CCC) is consulting with students, staff, and faculty to obtain various opinions on the new law in order to create Tarleton’s own set of rules and regulations for handling the campus carry law.

“The Campus Carry Council will provide additional information as the process moves forward,” said Welch. “Once the Tarleton Campus Carry plan is approved by System Board of Regents but prior to implementation, students, faculty and staff will notified of how this new law will affect Tarleton.”

Those who wish to discuss their thoughts on the new law can visit www. http://tarleton.edu/safety/campus-carry.html and click the “Share Your Thoughts” button to submit their ideas to the CCC. The CCC will draft a proposed rule, for review by the cabinet, by Dec. 1, 2015.