PHOENIX (AP) -- Changes to a guns in school bill have the Senate sponsor hoping it's enough to move the measure along and possibly become law.

Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, deleted language that would have let people carry concealed weapons on public K-12 campuses in Arizona.

Johnson said she expects to give up more ground in the battle over her divisive proposal if it has any chance of surviving in the state Legislature.

"You have to be a realist and know that many things have to be compromised to move along," Johnson said.

"You still end up with the ability for students, teachers and administrators to carry guns on college campuses."

Senate Bill 1214 may be considered by the full Senate Thursday, but its future is not clear.

Johnson has said she isn't sure she has enough votes for passage.

Wednesday evening, Johnson met with gun lobbyists while also trying to sway key lawmakers still on the fence.

In its current form, the bill would allow people with concealed-carry permits, restricted to those 21 and older, to bring guns onto community college and public university campuses.

Backers like the Arizona Citizens Defense League and National Rifle Association said it would give students, teachers and administrators a chance to protect themselves during a mass shooting.

The guns on campus bill has come under fire from campus police chiefs, school administrators and the Board of Regents, which governs the state's three public universities.

College classrooms can become heated during debates or during disputes with instructors over grades and guns could easily be used to threaten or intimidate others, says Velvie Green, president of Glendale Community College.

"We don't want our students to have to worry about or fear concealed weapons that would disrupt the learning environment," Green said.

"We need to focus on the reason for our existence: providing our students with access to higher education."

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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com

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