February 28, 2004

SOU cancels Larson's invitation to forum

Talk show host who wanted to bring a gun on campus says Constitutional rights are at stake

By Jennifer Squires
Ashland Daily Tidings

Paul Steinle wants Lars Larson to leave his guns at home.

Steinle, an associate professor of journalism at Southern Oregon University rescinded an invitation on Friday to have Larson, a conservative talk show host from Portland, take part in the First Amendment Forum because Larson refused to comply with a university request to not bring a concealed weapon onto the SOU campus.

Larson, who has had a concealed carry permit for almost 10 years, had been slated to broadcast his conservative talk show from noon to 7 p.m. from SOU, then speak at the forum on Wednesday, March 3.

Two weeks ago, Steinle learned Larson carries a concealed weapon. Both SOU policy and Oregon Administrative Rules, which govern the State Board of Higher Education, prohibit firearms on the campuses of the state's seven public universities.

"I didn't feel I could responsibly invite someone onto campus carrying a firearm," said Steinle, who organizes the event. "This is a campus. There are students here."

The university administration supported Steinle's decision to remove Larson from the event.

"The reason we have this policy in place is a concern about student and employee safety on our campus," said Ron Bolstad, vice president of administration and finance at SOU. "Were we not to have such a policy, we feel and the state board feels it would be placing the campus community in some potential risk."

However, Larson contends that the university and the OAR rulings are unconstitutional. He argues the university is violating his Second Amendment rights by uninviting him to the forum.

"This handgun policy is an illegal policy," Larson said in a phone interview from Portland. "I'm not willing to give up my civil rights. It would be akin to saying 'You're welcome to come to our forum but you must renounce your religious beliefs.'"

Republican party leaders agree with Larson's stance.

"The campus policy is in a violation of rights and can be directly challenged," said Bryan Platt, the chairman of the Jackson County Republican Central Committee. "They went beyond the scope of their authority to limit him to come on campus with his weapon."

Republican state representatives Jeff Kropf and Wayne Krieger, as well as the Oregon Firearms Federation, have voiced support for Larson. The talk show host believes the National Rifle Association will also back his Second Amendment fight.

"The NRA is not [involved]," Larson said. "But I have no doubt we can get the support of the NRA if we need to."

Larson claims Section 27 of the Oregon Constitution and Oregon Statute 166.170 guarantee his right to carry a concealed weapon in any public location except for state and municipal courtrooms. The only government entity that may regulate any aspect of firearm possession is the state legislature.

Still, the university administration stands firm behind its decision to prohibit concealed weapons on campus. According section "c" of OAR 573-020-0015, the section regarding proscribed conduct, "Possession or use of firearms, explosives, dangerous chemicals, or other dangerous weapons or instrumentalities on institutionally owned or controlled property, in contravention of law or institutional rules" is unlawful on the campus of Southern Oregon University.

"We're very sorry this came up," Bolstad said. "We feel the policy has been an effective one and in terms of the safety we're trying to maintain that."

However, the decades-old Oregon University System policy the university based its decision on has come under fire at another OUS institution.

A graduate student at the University of Oregon in Eugene filed a lawsuit in late January challenging the weapons ban on public university campuses with the backing of the Oregon Firearms Federation and the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation.

"In the face of that complaint, the State Board of Higher Education has determined it will not alter its ruling," Bolstad said. "We've talked to the representatives from our governing board and we're of one mind. Our policy remains in effect."

Larson, who had discussed the UO issue on his four-hour program in the past, maintains that OUS institutions are denying Second Amendment rights to him and the 100,000 Oregonians with concealed-carry permits.

The Oregon law giving licensed citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon has been in effect for 14 years. To obtain a permit, applicants must be 21 or older, have no misdemeanors in the four years prior to their application and never have committed a felony. Handgun use training is also required.

Larson has contacted the American Civil Liberties Union with intentions of filing a lawsuit through that group.

"They may be up for a lawsuit," Larson said. "I fully expect the ACLU to take this on. I would assume it would be against the entire system and the chancellor's office."

At press time, SOU administrators had not received word of the potential lawsuit and the First Amendment Forum will be held as scheduled, without Larson's involvement.