Jonathan Sawmiller told the Senate State Affairs Committee that students with guns aren't, as some might suggest, "nothing more than drunken frat boys who would stumble about campus firing indiscriminately." A law student, Iraq war veteran and BSU graduate, Sawmiller said, "I am a mature, responsible, law-abiding citizen trained in firearms usage. ... Student concealed weapons holders do not suddenly go insane" when they enter college campuses, and he said as an undergrad, "I had to choose between risking expulsion and giving up hunting for several years."

Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, interrupted Sawmiller to quietly ask him this question: "Are the leaders of my church wrong in precluding guns on campus at BYU and BYU Idaho?" Sawmiller said they have that right because it's a private institution. "The University of Idaho does not have that right," he said.

Davis said, "My 23-year-old son was shot eight years ago last week by a concealed weapon permit holder. Both BSU students. Off campus, at a college environment. I know for you, that you served our country nobly, I thank you for it. I trust you. But there are others that I have concerns about. This is not an intellectual exercise for me and my family. To you and your successors who speak here today, please be sensitive in couching your remarks."

Sawmiller responded, "I am very sorry for your tragic loss."