AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers kicked off the final weekend of the legislative session expecting a vote to allow concealed handguns in public college classrooms, while efforts to curb the rising costs of offering free tuition to veterans and their families collapsed.
House and Senate negotiators agreed on the so-called “campus carry” bill that lets college presidents designate some areas as gun-free zones. A final vote was expected Saturday.
Lawmakers decided that universities have unique areas like hospitals and biotechnology labs, where people shouldn’t be armed. But they warn school presidents that handguns can’t be banned from entire campuses.
No agreement came, though, on veterans’ benefits. It has been an area of concern for universities, as costs have ballooned since 2009, when veterans’ children began being allowed to use unused credit hours. (AP)
