Despite Ohio Governor Josh Kasich's signing of a new law allowing the bringing of concealed weapons inside college campuses, officials from most of the state's public and private college decided to do nothing about it, news reports say.
Senate Bill 199, which was signed Dec. 19 and will take effect March 19, allowed the carrying of concealed weapons on campuses and other public places, but didn't take away a college's board of trustees' right to declare the school a gun-free zone. And according to a survey conducted by Cleveland.com, the general response from varying boards of trustees was to do nothing about the new law.
This response is because technically, the law maintains the current prohibitions which prevent carrying concealed weapons on campus, either public or private, unless the gun is locked away inside a motor vehicle. The new law just expanded the list of places where concealed guns can be allowed, but did not take away a College Board's prerogative.
Lawrence Pollock, chairman of the Kent State University board of trustees, for example, said they see no need for further action, as the new policy represents the Board's position on the matter.
Cuyahoga Community College President Alex Johnson also said they won't take any further action. Johnson said he's been communicating with the College Board Chair Victor Ruiz and other trustees, and all of them have decided not to permit concealed carry in the school.
Over at Ohio University, officials are talking about the new law and will include it in the agenda for OU's trustee executive committee meeting. The faculty has released a resolution to not allow concealed carry on campus.
The bill was quickly passed into law following an incident inside Ohio State University. A Somali-born student named Abdul Razak Ali Artan plowed into a crowd of students on campus, then quickly jumped out of the car he was driving and stabbed 11 students with a knife. He was shot dead by a police officer.
