University of Wyoming trustees vote against plan to extend concealed carry on campus

The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees has rejected a proposal that would have extended concealed carry on campus.

On Friday, the board voted 6-5 against a plan that would have allowed authorized concealed carry permit holders to bring firearms into various university facilities.

[RELATED: Delaware Senate passes bill restricting gun rights on campuses]

State superintendent and University of Wyoming alumna Megan Degenfelder released a statement on Sunday expressing her disappointment in the trustees’ decision.

“The decision by the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees (UWBOT) to reject campus concealed carry is a step in the wrong direction for safety, freedom, and local governance,” she said. “Our second amendment rights don’t stop at the campus gate.”

”The UWBOT failed to take ownership of this issue by passing a policy specific to the University,” she added. “The Legislature must now take action to protect constitutional rights and the safety of our University campus.”

Trustee David Fall, who voted against the proposal, reportedly stated that, “A fundamental belief I’ve had ever since I got involved in education, is that guns do not belong in schools, period.”

Trustee Michelle Sullivan, who also opposed the measure, invoked student testimonials in defense of her position.

“To a student, there was concern about the change of this rule,” she said, according to the Laramie Boomerang. “And we had overwhelming response from our community that they are opposed to this, and they felt that it would make this community less safe.”

“Based on what I have heard from this community, and my own knowledge of human development and adolescent development, I cannot support the change of this rule,” Sullivan added.

[RELATED: ‘Peeping’ trans student to stay in sorority after judge dismisses lawsuit]

The topic of concealed carry on college campuses remains an ongoing debate in various states, with only predominantly Republican areas voting in favor of such provisions.

In February, the Arizona Senate passed a bill that would prevent colleges and universities from restricting concealed carry by lawful permit holders. The proposal comes as some of the state’s largest public universities restrict firearms from being stored or possessed on campus premises.