Local control being tested

There's no need to get up in arms over the proposal to broaden people's ability to carry guns on Idaho university and college campuses.

In fact, there's no need to do anything.

Legislators have had the good sense and necessary respect to allow campus administrations to determine their own gun policies. And why wouldn't they?

Idaho reveres local control. Federal mandates meet stiff resistance when they cross state lines; in some cases, "free money" from our nation's capital is rejected or at least spent with a serious scowl. Even ultimata issuing forth from Boise aren't always embraced in the outlands with the same sense of cooperation legislators intend or expect.

The guns-on-campus debate is no different. Whether you're a hawk or a dove is absolutely irrelevant. This is a litmus test for local control, and the test-takers are members of the 2014 Idaho Legislature. They're entertaining a version of the gun suggestion that was shot down in 2011, and apparently, they need to be reminded why many pro-Second Amendment Idahoans think it's just a bad idea.

North Idaho's three primary college campuses - North Idaho College, University of Idaho-Coeur d'Alene and Lewis Clark State College-Coeur d'Alene - are all happy with the gun policies they have in place, although NIC Trustees might consider training and arming qualified security personnel. Leaders of these institutions do not shy away from the accountability that goes with their responsibilities. So why force change upon the people who would be most affected if it's counter to what their judgment tells them is the best approach? Who knows better than they do? Nobody.

The Legislature should keep its trigger finger in its pocket on this topic. If it wants to improve education, there are much better ways to do so.