The Utah PTA has started a petition drive to stop adults from carring concealed guns to school

October 20, 1999
Web posted at: 7:32 a.m. EDT (1132 GMT)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (CNN) -- While any child caught on a school campus with a gun faces a mandatory one-year expulsion under federal law, laws in 12 states allow many adults -- including teachers, administrators and parents -- to carry concealed weapons on school property if they have a permit.

The head of the Utah state PTA has started a petition drive, hoping the signatures will help prompt a change in state law -- making it illegal for anyone to bring a gun to school.

"Zero tolerance of concealed weapons in school except for law enforcement officers," said Colleen Taylor of the Utah PTA.

There is public support for the gun-free school effort.

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Guns under fire

"Teachers shouldn't have them, students shouldn't have them, I don't think they should be allowed in any public facility," said one supporter.

But others think teachers and administrators should be armed.

"With as many guns that are in the schools that the kids are carrying, that they don't have permits for, we have to be able to keep our teachers safe, somehow," said an opponent of the petition.

In 1995, Utah lawmakers made it easier for adults to obtain concealed-weapon permits.

Since then, the number of permits in the state has gone from 15,000 to more than 27,000.

Vilos's book about Utah guns laws; he feels gun-free schools could be an invitation to would-be attackers

"It's a deterrent to violent crime," argued attorney James Vilos, who wrote a book about Utah gun laws. He said gun-free schools would be an invitation to would-be attackers.

"They're not going go to the police station where they're going to encounter armed resistance," said Vilos. "They're going to go somewhere where they can kill as many people as possible without any resistance."

Utah's teachers' union, which supports keeping guns out of schools, believes far less than one percent of it's 23,000 teachers and administrators carry concealed weapons. But that's too many for some educators.

"I do not want students or employees in the building carrying firearms," insisted principal Ken Powell.

"We want responsible gun owners to leave them at home and not bring them to school," said Taylor.

The Utah state legislature recently refused to hold a special session to take up the issue. Now the PTA hopes voters will get their chance to take aim.

Correspondent Greg LaMotte contributed to this report.