College Board Opposes Liberalizing Gun Law

Trustees of the Rancho Santiago Community College District have passed a resolution opposing an Assembly bill they say would liberalize California’s concealed-weapons law.

The trustees voted 5 to 2 to urge the state Senate to oppose the bill, with Shirley Ralston and Tom Saenz dissenting. Ralston and Saenz called the bill a “political issue” that “has nothing to do with education.”

The rest of the board, however, disagreed. By passing the resolution, they argued, trustees are sending a strong message to legislators to defeat the pending bill, which they said would expand the availability of concealed weapon permits for most adults. Critics of the bill, including police, city and state officials and gun-control advocates, say that allowing more firearms on the streets would lead to more violent crime, not less.

Officials predict that if the bill, sponsored by Assemblyman William J. “Pete” Knight (R-Palmdale) becomes law, 1.5 million new gun permits would be issued statewide.

Under the legislation, a resident who can demonstrate competence with a gun and has not been convicted of a serious crime, belonged to a street gang or committed domestic violence could obtain a permit after a 15-day waiting period.

“This is an educational issue,” Trustee Charles W. “Pete” Maddox said. “This bill will allow students to carry guns to every college in this state.”

“We would have to allow everybody to bring guns to our campus, into our classrooms,” he said. “I fail to see how arming every citizen in this state is going to make this a safer place to live.”