CHARLESTON — The speculation began as soon as the Campus Carry Bill was pulled off the Senate Judiciary agenda Monday afternoon: The bill was dead, or at least mortally wounded.
But HB 2519 — to allow people with concealed carry permits to carry on campus under certain conditions — proved its resilience last Wednesday when it survived several death attempts on its way to not quite overwhelming passage in the House, 59-41.
And it was far from dead on Monday, just getting some bandages. Gov. Jim Justice also weighed in on the bill without taking a stand either way.
Before the meeting, answering a question about the bill’s status, chair Charles Trump would only say it had been pulled from that day’s agenda. “That’s all I can say at this point.”
A couple hours later, after the Senate’s afternoon floor session, President Mitch Carmichael explained what’s been going on.
As it came over from the House, he said, senators thought they had it in a condition to bring it out for a committee vote. But they discovered some code conflicts and problems with the structure of the bill.
It was at the bottom of the Judiciary agenda, he said, and there were people in the audience who wanted to speak to the bill. “We just decided to pull it from the agenda so that the people that were there to address the bill knew that they probably wouldn’t get to it that day.”
It’s expected to be on Tuesday’s agenda, Carmichael said.
The legislative session ends Saturday and Carmichael acknowledged the tight window to pass the bill. “There’s lots of amendments that will be in the works on it.” There also will be floor amendments offered.
After clearing Judiciary, it has to go to Finance for review of the $11.6 million fiscal note, and then read on three separate days before passage. And since it will be changed, it has to return to the House for the House to agree on the amendments or work toward a compromise.
If it doesn’t get out of committee on Tuesday, it will have a hard time completing the process, Carmichael said.
At a press conference on another topic, Justice said, “I have real concerns on both sides of the equation.”
Looking at other states, he said, “It seems like its OK to do.” But the institutions don’t want it.
“I’m a gun owner and very proud of it,” he said. He believes in the Constitution and the right to bear arms. “I am rock solid there 1,000 percent.”
But he hasn’t made up his mind yet on a veto, if the bill reaches him.
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