By Courtney Tanner | The Salt Lake Tribune | Photo by Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

One Utah lawmaker wants to make sure state law clearly enshrines the right to have a gun at a public college — and make the rules for that less restrictive. Another wants open carry to be expressly banned on any campus, with no exceptions.

The two opposing bills, both introduced in the Utah Legislature, could significantly shape gun policy for Utah after several high-profile shooting deaths here.

For higher education, in particular, the debate comes in the wake of the shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University last fall. His death has roiled the state and drawn international attention after, according to law enforcement, a single shot was fired from one of the school’s rooftops.

Much of the conversation has centered on the politics and policies around weapons in Republican-majority Utah, which currently is one of the most permissive states in the country when it comes to guns and what few laws restrict them — particularly in higher education spaces.

It already is legal to both concealed and open carry a gun on Utah’s eight public university and college campuses, with few exceptions.

In 2021, Utah became an open or “constitutional” carry state. That means it is legal for Utah residents 21 years or older to carry a weapon — either openly or concealed — without a permit or background check in most places. That includes carrying rifles, shotguns and handguns.

Read more at SLTrib.com.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.