Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., Chancellor of UT System
Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., Chancellor of UT System utsystem.edu

Today, University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa sent a letter to Gov. Rick Perry weighing in on the touchy issue of allowing concealed handguns on college campuses. In short: He’s against it.

Campus carry legislation passed the Texas Senate last session before stalling in the Texas House. This time around, more than half of the House members have already signed on in support of the bill, which certainly bodes well for its passage. The legislation has yet to be heard in committee in either chamber.

“As the legislature considers the important and sensitive issue of concealed handguns on campuses of institutions of higher education,” Cigarroa wrote, “I would be remiss in my duties as chancellor of the state’s largest university system, if I did not convey my concerns regarding this issue.”ย 

His concerns, it turns out, are numerous, ranging from unease on the part of campus mental health professionals to questions about heightened risks in laboratories and hospitals where pressurized gases are present.

Here’s the full document:

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Reeve Hamilton worked at the Tribune from 2009 to 2015, covering higher education and politics and hosting the Tribune's weekly podcast. His writing has also appeared in Texas Monthly and The Texas Observer....