Hansen for guns on campus bill

State Sen. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, defended her support of student possession of guns on campus.

Hansen spoke during the weekly video conference between lawmakers in Helena and Havre residents.

Hansen said the bill, approved by the state Senate and awaiting action in the House, would provide for limited possession of firearms on campus, but would not be unlimited.

She said she wondered if banning guns would create "a safe zone or a zone where bad guys know nobody can shoot back."

She said while she was in the Army, she was undergoing training in Virginia at the time of the Virginia Tech shootings, where a gunman killed 32 people and injured 17.

On other topics, she said she is concerned that the Montana University System is "muzzling" chancellors of university campuses from lobbying legislators on campus issues.

Instead, she said, the Board of Regents and the central office staff insist that they do the lobbying.

She said Montana State University-Northern officials should be able to discuss the proposed $400,000 grant the state provides annually for the biotech research center.

She said local officials are more familiar with the center than central office officials are.

She said chances are good the money will be restored to the budget.

It was not included in Gov. Steve Bullock's budget this year. She said every two years, the money is taken out and Hi-Line lawmakers have to fight to get in reinstated.