Following the terrorist attack on the Ohio State University campus this week, lawmakers in Ohio are using the lame duck session to give state universities the discretion to make their own rules about such guns on campus.

The Buckeyes for Concealed Carry petition on Change.org, which is over halfway to it’s 1000 signature goal, makes a compelling case, saying:

The authority to regulate firearms on our public property should lie with the general assembly, not some appointed group of individuals who are not accountable to the people of Ohio through the election process.

Furthermore, the right to carry on college campuses should be restored. None of the states where is it currently practiced have experience any intentional act of violence by a licensee.

The effort to advance the right to carry on campus is joined by a very glamorous ally: former Miss Ohio Madison Gesiotto. Gesiotto, who is currently in the final year of pursuing her J.D. at The Michael E. Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University, said she had friends in Watt’s Hall Monday morning at the time of the attack.

In an opinion piece published in the Washington Times yesterday, Gesiotto employed readers to support campus carry, saying:

The reality is that criminals and terrorists do not respect the law and will not follow the law regardless of what anti-weapon regulations that a university puts into place, which is why we need campus carry now more than ever. Students, professors and visitors of not only The Ohio State University, but of universities nationwide should be empowered and encouraged, not discouraged and unable, to protect themselves and those around them.

Not only could lives be saved, but future attacks could also be prevented. By changing to a common sense concealed carry option for those who have legally obtained their license to conceal and carry in their state criminals and terrorists will be less likely to attack, since they do not carry out attacks as often in areas where a population is known to be armed, trained and ready to act.

Phil Mulivor, of Ohioans for Concealed Carry, pointed out that of the 105 universities in 9 states which allow citizens to carry on campus, all have done so without incident.

The Ohio House has already voted in favor of the bill which also allows law-abiding citizens to carry in day care centers and within public areas of police stations and airports. The Senate is also expected to approve the measure, with a vote coming as soon as next week.

However, if the legislation is not enacted in 2016, the bill heads back to the drawing board next year.