Gun Lobby's Radical Agenda Fails, Again: Attempts to Force Loaded Guns on College Campuses Hits Wall of Opposition in 2009

Bills Fail In Michigan and 11 Other States in 2009. Colorado State University Bans Guns On Campus In December; Momentum Builds To Protect Universities and Student Safety From Being Hijacked By Gun Lobby

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The gun lobby's radical and extremist agenda to force hidden and loaded handguns on college campuses hit a stiff wall of opposition in 2009. Gun violence prevention advocates, campus security officials, administrators, professors and especially students repeatedly defeated the gun lobby's irresponsible legislation that would have stripped universities from being able to determine their own safety policies with respect to firearms on campus. The gun lobby has tried in vain to capitalize on the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting tragedy that killed 32 students and professors to advance its extremist ideology to arm students and teachers.

In the 12 states it attempted to ram through its dangerous legislation, the gun lobby ended 2009 without a single "guns on campus" bill being enacted into law, most recently losing bills in both the state Senate and House in Michigan. Conservative states such as Texas, Alabama, Missouri and Louisiana, among others, where the gun lobby claims its power is unmatched also firmly rejected the gun lobby's agenda. And in December, Colorado State University's Board of Governors voted unanimously to ban all firearms - concealed or not - on its campuses at Ft Collins and Pueblo. The gun lobby's losses are unparalleled. The Wall Street Journal reported in July 2009 that the gun lobby suffered 34 consecutive defeats over the last two years in trying to permit students to carry loaded and deadly handguns into dorms, classrooms and sporting events.

"There needs to come a point where the gun lobby's agenda becomes too extreme for state lawmakers to support," said Andy Pelosi, the Director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus. "Do lawmakers really want to have to explain the fact that they risked the safety of college students just to appease the radical ideology of the gun lobby?"

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus is urging lawmakers, parents, advocates, law enforcement officials and university administrators to band together to strongly oppose the gun lobby which has vowed to push its extremist agenda even stronger in 2010.

Since the Campaign was launched just one year ago, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and more than 97 colleges and universities in 25 states have signed onto a resolution opposing legislation that would take away an educational institution's right to prohibit or adopt policies to regulate possession of firearms on campus.

View list the of supporting institutions at http://tiny.cc/List-Guns-Off-Campus534

SOURCE Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus

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