“Proud day for me,” Republican Gov. Jim Justice said as he signed the [campus carry] bill, surrounded by more than two dozen state lawmakers, members of the National Rifle Association, and the West Virginia Citizens Defense League.
The law will take effect in July 2024. Similar legislation has passed in 11 other states.
Justice said guns have been present on state campuses even without the new law.
“For crying out loud, the doors are wide open,” he said. “This is just saying the law-abiding people have a right to be able to carry if they choose to do so. We just hope and pray that there’s never a problem. We can’t ensure in any way that there won’t be a problem.”
He wants the law to “send a message to the world, by God , if you want to mess with us, we can mess back.”
— John Raby in West Virginia governor signs campus carry gun bill