Oregon appeals court throws out university gun ban


By Jonathan J. Cooper, Chron.com

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon University System cannot ban guns on college campuses, the state Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday in a decision that overturns a decades-old prohibition.

A three-judge panel found that only the Legislature can regulate the possession of firearms under a 1995 state law intended to prevent cities from creating their own gun bans.

Gun-rights advocates cheered the decision as university administrators insisted campuses have safety systems to alert students and staff to potential threats.

“Our greatest concern is for the safety of our students and the entire campus community,” Chancellor George Pernsteiner said in a statement. He said the universities will review their legal options.

The now-defunct gun ban was developed in the 1970s and modified in 1991 after the state enacted new regulations for concealed weapons, said Di Saunders, a university system spokeswoman.

The Oregon Firearms Educational Foundations, a gun rights group, challenged it after a Western Oregon University student was sanctioned for carrying a gun on campus in 2009, said Kevin Starrett, the group’s executive director.

To read more, visit:  http://www.chron.com/news/article/Oregon-appeals-court-throws-out-university-gun-ban-2193542.php

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