Texas Campus Carry Law Goes into Effect Today, What You Need to Know

A new law started today.So what does the mean for everyone in college in our state? 

Open Carry is currently legal in our state, but the latest law allows students to open carry in classrooms on a college campus now. Supporters of the law are saying this could stop a shooting from becoming a mass shooting. Critics think the law will endanger the safety of students on campus.

The 'Campus Carry' law allows people 21 and older with a concealed handgun license to carry pistols in classrooms and buildings throughout public colleges, including the University of Texas system. The law is going into effect today on the fiftieth anniversary of the mass shooting at the University of Texas at Austin.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott,  said a gunman could already bring a firearm on to campus, and the law could prevent mass shootings because someone with a licensed concealed weapon could be ready to confront a gunman.

One student at the University of Texas is worried about the new law. "There are so many students battling the stress of campus. Some are unstable and we don't know who has a gun," said Courtney Dang.

The law allows private colleges to opt out, and most of the state's best-known private universities have done so, saying the measure runs counter to protecting student safety.