New Proposed Bill Limiting the Designation of Gun Free Zones in Nebraska

Senator Tommy Garrett proposed a revision of a Nebraska state law that will lessen the number of “gun free zones”.  Lincoln Journal Star reports; the senator explained that those are areas where concealed carrying is allowed.  Sen. Tommy Garrett goes on to argue that “The gun-free zones are what’s killing us. These are not criminals [referring to concealed carriers]. They are not wackos. They are not people that are mentally unstable.  They’re law-abiding, God-fearing American citizens.”

Any Nebraskan wanting to avail himself of a permit to concealed carry must undergo a thorough background check and firearms training before they will be permitted to conceal carry. Sen. Garrett further explained this will enable Nebraskan concealed carriers to legally defend themselves in places that they were not allowed to conceal carry before. However, in the proposal, police stations, jails, courthouses, and prisons will continue to be gun free zones.

Early critics of this bill are the University of Nebraska, but they will not comment. until the full form of the bill is available. The chief of police at UNL also commented that armed students alarm him because a sporting event is ordinarily rowdy, also alcoholism and even mental conditions that are not uncommon to college students.

Other reasons as stated by the police chief is that it will make it harder to for the police to respond if there are reports of an armed man on campuses. An absurd justification.  A report of a gunman is a routine police job.

Gun does not equate to violence. It’s the fault of the police or the university if they fail to distinguish which is which.

The bill is far from final. It could very well end up as the two earlier bills that were held by Judiciary Committee for an extended time.

However, if this bill pushes, and is finally signed by the governor to become a Nebraskan state law, it will set a good example on where to designate “gun free zones.”