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Utah Senate approves narrow campus concealed-carry compromise, 17-12, sending bill to House
Summary
After negotiation with higher-education leaders, the Senate passed SB251 to preserve legislative authority over campus weapons while allowing limited exceptions — a roommate accommodation in residence halls and faculty-posted no-gun offices — and the University system pledged to drop pending federal litigation if enacted.
Senators passed Senate Bill 251 on a 17-12 roll call after extended floor debate over where concealed-weapons permit holders may carry on college and university campuses.
Sponsor Sen. Bell framed the bill as the product of a working group that met with university-system leaders and the University of Utah to resolve litigation and set a consistent statewide policy. Bell said the working group rejected campus-by-campus control by boards of trustees and declined broad academic-area exemptions; the final bill creates only narrow exceptions and procedural accommodations. "That really is the bill," Bell said, summarizing that almost every public…
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