Current law bans concealed carry holders to have guns in these sections of campus — one of the nine places on a list that includes casinos, bars and churches — but the law doesn’t make it illegal to openly carry a gun on campus.

University policy allows people who legally can carry guns to do so.

“Except as permitted by state law regulating firearms, no person shall possess any firearm or weapon anywhere upon property governed by the Board,” university policy states.

University spokesman Jason Cody declined to comment about the legislation.

Lawmakers argue there is a gap between laws, which effectively makes concealed guns in a holder illegal on certain areas of college campuses but doesn’t ban carrying guns openly.

Republican backers of the bill hope it will send a message to universities that restricting the use of guns among law-abiding citizens does not increase safety.

“We’d like to dispel the myth that college campuses are safe,” said Ryan Mitchell, a spokesman for State Sen. Mike Green, R-Mayville, who is the bill’s main sponsor. “We believe Michigan citizens have the right to protect themselves wherever they are.”

Some students expressed concern about the potential changes.

“It just seems like it would create more problems than it would solve,” English senior Octavia Buss said.

The requirements to carry a concealed gun on campus for those with concealed pistol licenses are completing nine hours of additional weapons training, shooting 192 more rounds at a range and keeping them concealed in a holder.

The legislation likely will be up for a vote on the floor in two weeks, once the lawmakers come back from their spring break, Mitchell said.

While the bill cleared its first hurdle, several more stand. So far, Speaker of the House Jase Bolger, R-Marshall, hasn’t committed support.

“The speaker is going to want to take his time with this, it’s a very emotional issue for people,”

Bolger spokesman Ari Adler said. “(However), anyone who would walk into a building and murder people is not going to be deterred by a law that says you can’t carry a concealed weapon.”