2A WIN: West Virginia Allows Concealed Carry on Campus
Jose Nino
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On February 21, 2023, the West Virginia legislature passed campus carry, which would let lawful individuals with concealed carry licenses to carry a handgun on public college and university campuses.
Senate Bill 10 (SB10) received its final vote on February 21 and will now go to Governor Jim Justice’s desk.
“It is the intent of the Legislature,” SB10 stated, “to establish, by this act, conditions under which persons with a current and valid license to carry a concealed deadly weapon may carry a concealed pistol or revolver at a state institution of higher education.”
According to the law, public institutions of higher learning must provide at minimum one “secure location for the storage of a pistol or revolver” in an on-campus residence hall and bans schools from restricting firearms in public spaces.
Gabrielle M. Etzel of Campus Reform noted that “Exceptions include school stadiums, daycare facilities, and student and faculty disciplinary hearings.”
Etzel pointed out that West Virginia is one of the states with the highest rate of gun ownership. It’s fifth in the US for gun ownership “with 58.5% of its population registered.”
On top of that, West Virginia is a solidly pro-gun state in terms of its gun laws and overall gun culture. According to Guns & Ammo best states for gun owners rankings, West Virginia is in 19th place. Passing Campus Carry will further improve the state’s pro-gun profile.
There isn’t much room for progress on gun rights at the federal level but at the state level opportunities abound. The Right should pick up on this and run with it.
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