Debate regarding guns on campus highlighted the first UF Student Senate meeting of the Summer on Tuesday.
At the meeting, the Senate saw most of its time revolve around the first reading of Resolution 2015-1029 — Resolution Opposing Guns on Campus — which was proposed by District E Sen. Rodolfo Perez Cordero.
The resolution failed, with the majority of the Senate voting against it.
Perez Cordero said he wrote the resolution as a result of House Bill 4005, which would allow those with a permit for concealed carry to have weapons or firearms on college or university facilities if passed.
He cited personal experiences regarding people losing their guns at the mall and the fact that an approved conceal carry law would make it difficult for police to determine who is a victim and a suspect in certain situations.
“He’s going to have no choice but to shoot at the victim and the suspect because his primary job is to stop the shooting all together,” Perez Cordero said. “This is a situation we do not want to put our officers in.”
University Police Department Capt. Jeff Holcomb spoke during the meeting alongside Perez Cordero expressing his support for the senator’s resolution, citing the lack of long-term or repetitive training required to received a concealed carry permit in Florida.
“The concern from our department is you’ve got people on our campus that don’t go through this length of in-depth training, but they’re carrying possibly the same kind of firearms as we are,” Holcomb said.
Four rounds of pro-con debate showcased a divided Senate on the issue.
And while Perez Cordero did receive some support, the resolution’s opposition had the upper hand.
Sen. Denae Campanale said senators should be careful when voting about issues such as concealed carry because their votes are on behalf of the Student Body and not just their own personal views.
“Because this is such a hot-button issue, it could be possibly dangerous to make assumptions,” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 5/14/15]
