Educational institution?

[E10]

My wife has a very busy speech pathology practice, and I assist her with administration, HR, IT, security, logistics, etc. It has always been my practice to carry at work. The building which houses our office has recently been purchased by the University of Texas System Board of Regents. It traditionally has been, and continues to be, a predominantly medical office building, with offices of various physicians, therapists, and lab facilities. The University of Texas at El Paso has some accounting department offices on the first floor, but with a separate entrance not used by other occupants, clients, patients, or visitors.

There has always been a 'Beretta Buster' sign on the front door, along with the false admonition "State law prohibits carrying a handgun on these premises." However, I have heard rumors that management intends to invoke PC §30.06 and post compliant signs. I don’t think they can legally do this, as the Board of Regents seems to be a 'governmental entity’ and, as most of us know, the last bit of PC §30.06 states:

(e) It is an exception to the application of this section that the property on which the license holder carries a handgun is owned or leased by a governmental entity and is not a premises or other place on which the license holder is prohibited from carrying the handgun under Section 46.03 or 46.035.

But does the building qualify as one of the ‘Places Weapons Prohibited’ under the provisions of PC §46.03? The function of this building remains commercial. There are no educational facilities, such as classrooms, professors’ offices, etc., and no educational activities going on in the building, not yet, anyway. No signs have been posted to indicate ownership or use by UTEP, although the UTEP police department does patrol the property (there was a patrol car parked in front just this morning). There are probably plans in the works to convert the building to educational use, as we are located near the UTEP campus, but management continues to maintain that they’ve heard nothing definite. I guess an aggressive campus cop could make a case for arrest, but does anyone think it would past muster in court? Of course, it wouldn’t be much fun to take the ride, even if I could show I’m legal, so I now secure my handgun in my vehicle, separate from its ammunition.

Another possibility is that management changing the rules to prohibit otherwise legal CHL weapons under PC §46.03 (or 30.06, too) may invalidate the lease agreement, because it imposes a restriction that didn’t previously exist. My wife has been uncomfortable with the long-term lease she had to sign when we moved in, and has voiced a desire to purchase her own building. Perhaps we can make that work for us.

O’course, campus carry woulda resolved all these questions. I guess we can continue to hope for 2015.

[SewTexas]

seems like you should be able to carry until they post the signs at least? I guess if they post the sign then you have to abide by it