FSU’s’ leader: No guns at schools

John Thrasher says he’ll fifight any bid to change that.

I n hi s annual “s t ate of the university” address on Wednesday, Florida State University President John T h r a s h e r r e i t e r a t e d h i s strong opposition to allowing guns on university and college campuses.

As a member of the Florida Senate, Thrasher helped kill a bill in 2011 that would have allowed gun owners with concealed-weapons licenses to bring their fifirearms to Florida’s university and state college campuses.

“I opposed it. I killed it. I have worked against it since then,” Thrasher told the FSU faculty. “And you have my promi se that I will work against it this year also.”

The so - c alled “c ampus c ar r y ” bi l l , which i n t he pa s t ha s b e e n a pprove d by the House, has already re-emerged as an issue for the 2017 legislative session. Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, fifiled a new version of t he bi l l ( HB 6005) on Wednesday.

The issue also may have more support in 2017 in the Senate, where newly elected Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, a major supporter, has been named chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

That committee is where t h e p r o p o s a l , s t r o n g l y backed by Second Amendment groups, died during the 2016 session.

Thrasher, a former House speaker and Senate Rules Committee chairman, said that he continues to agree with other university and college leaders, campus law enforcement officials and faculty members “that having more guns on campus does not make our campus safer.”