The Kansas Legislature has been arguing over whether or not those with concealed carry permits should be allowed to carry their weapons onto campuses and public buildings for the past several weeks. This is an issue that was brought up last year and failed, but if at first you don’t succeed in government try, try, try again.

Legislators argue that government shouldn’t control what you can or can’t do at these places, and that you have a right to have a gun and should be allowed to bring it wherever you want. While their view of promoting freedom is commendable, the legislature’s approach is backward.

The state shouldn’t be telling others what they must do, and should instead allow each city and university to have the freedom to choose their own policies that fit their unique needs.

Just as state governments shouldn’t be telling you what you must and must not do on an issue of freedom, they should only say what is allowed and what is not. Just as they cannot tell you to allow guns in your house they shouldn’t say you must allow them in schools; they should only allow universities the choice.

What makes this bill truly bizarre is that those pushing for it are those asking for smaller government. Groups such as the Kansas Republican Party and the Kansas Libertarian Party are both working to promote this bill, a bill that would take control from city governments and colleges on whether they would allow guns in their buildings.

The true small government view would be to allow each place to decide for itself whether they wish to allow conceal and carry. But perhaps that is the real reason they oppose letting smaller governments choose their own rules—they just can’t get them to agree to their bad ideas.