The Illinois Student Senate passed a resolution at its Wednesday meeting encouraging legislators to keep the University free of concealed weapons and inviting all public institutions of higher education in Illinois to take a similar stand.
Senator Christopher Dayton, one of the sponsors of this resolution and senior in LAS, said it’s important to realize this is not a resolution about second amendment rights or the concealed carry law in Illinois but about campus safety.
“What this is hoping to do is give the police the power to ensure that they can prevent someone that is carrying a concealed weapon from getting access to something just right across the Quad,” he said. “Not a lot of people realize that — legally you can’t carry a firearm on state property like the Quad proper, but all you have to be is on Green Street, on Wright Street, and you can carry.”
He said the purpose of the resolution is to expand the area where concealed weapons are restricted, if concealed carry is permitted in Illinois, and that the police can handle someone who is carrying a concealed weapon further away from University buildings. Senator Nick Larson, a sponsor of the resolution and senior in LAS, said due to the high density of students on campus this kind of legislation is essential.
Dayton said the next step for the resolution is for Larson, senator Damani Bolden, junior in ACES, and himself to research what’s already been drafted in the state legislature and look at what they feel is in the best interest of the student body. They also plan to look into how best to give the police force of the University the necessary means to make sure that students are safe on campus.
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He said the appellate court gave legislators 180 days to come up with concealed carry law with proper public decisions.
“Since it hasn’t been actualized yet, we need to make sure we can insert our voice,” Dayton said.
He said by reaching out to other universities, legislators could better hear the student body’s voice. According to the resolution, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Springfield will also be invited to join the University in its stance.
Tyler can be reached [email protected].
