Testimony: ‘Adding weapons to this mix,’ ‘Policies are naive,’ ‘Sensitive places’

Boise Police Department Lt. Tony Plott told the House State Affairs Committee the department opposes HB 222, the campus guns bill. He said he’s a lifetime NRA member, the father of three college-age daughters, and a second-generation law enforcement officer. “Conduct that most adults feel is risky, young adults feel is pretty fun,” he told the committee. “As a campus police agency, we feel strongly that adding weapons to this mix will mean our college students are less safe.”

Al Baker, a second-year University of Idaho law student and director of Students for Concealed Carry, spoke in favor of the bill. He said he believes it’s unconstitutional for universities to regulate firearms possession. “The policies are naive and they’re intellectually dishonest,” Baker said. “They’re only effective against law-abiding people … and they don’t stop people that want to do the wrong thing.” He said, “This really changes not who carries, but simply where they carry.” Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, an attorney, questioned Baker’s constitutional argument, noting that the Idaho Constitution has specific provisions regarding concealed weapons, and state law has the university provisions. Baker disagreed. “They can’t contravene that basic right to self-defense,” he said.

Kevin Satterlee, vice president of Boise State University, said he’s a hunter, but said, “I don’t think this bill is a good idea.” He said law enforcement professionals say it’s not, and cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision by Justice Antonin Scalia, which noted that the Supreme Court takes no issue with prohibitions of firearms in “sensitive places such as schools and government buildings.” Satterlee also submitted guidelines from national athletic championship organizations for volleyball, hockey and lacrosse that specify no weapons can be allowed. He also said the bill would endanger BSU’s ability to book major entertainment acts in its venues, as standards for such bookings require weapons to be excluded.