Bill requiring Kentucky colleges to allow campus concealed carry moves forward: 'Gun free zones have failed'

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A bill currently being considered in Kentucky would prohibit public colleges and universities from banning guns on campus.

House Bill 542, proposed on Tuesday and approved on party lines through committee to be sent to the Kentucky House floor, would allow anyone over the age of 21 to carry a gun at public colleges and universities and would prevent the schools from enacting a ban, WKYT-TV reported.

"Banning firearms on campus is clearly not a deterrent for those who would willingly harm others," Republican state Rep. Savannah Maddox, a sponsor of the bill, told the House Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection. "Yet it ensures innocent victims are defenseless in the face of the unthinkable."

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Maddox said "so called ‘gun free zones’ have failed to stop violent criminals from harming innocent victims," in a statement to Fox News Digital. (iStock)

Maddox referenced the recent shooting at Michigan State University that killed three students and injured five others as a reason why more people should be armed in order to defend themselves.

"Telling every person on campus who was right smack dab in the worst day of their life to ‘run, hide or fight.’ Can you imagine if one of your children or someone you loved was on that campus and they got a text message telling them to run, hide or fight? But it’s impossible to fight when your own institution of higher learning has rendered you useless," Maddox explained. 

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State Rep. Savannah Maddox speaks during a committee meeting in Frankfort in February 2021. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

A spokesperson for the University of Kentucky, which is currently a "gun free zone," said in a statement that "our law enforcement, safety and health officials are unequivocal in their belief that allowing guns on campus will make our community less safe."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Maddox said "so called ‘gun free zones’ have failed to stop violent criminals from harming innocent victims."

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Damon Thueson shows a holster at a concealed carry permit class put on by "USA Firearms Training." (Getty Images)

"It requires courage for elected officials to acknowledge the failure of ineffective policies in the face of opposition, but I remain confident that the Kentucky General Assembly will prioritize the safety of our citizens over the hazardous restrictions supported by gun control advocates."

Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Kentucky’s governor, Democrat Andy Beshear, but did not immediately receive a response.

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The bill was proposed shortly after West Virginia's Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill into law that allows concealed carry permit holders to carry their firearms on the campuses of state colleges and universities.

Justice said it was a "proud day" for him as he signed the bill, adding that the law sends "a message to the world, by God, if you want to mess with us, we can mess back."

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report