PHOENIX (AP) -- A bill aimed at allowing some students, professors and administrators to bring guns on college campuses has died in the Arizona Senate.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, said Senate President Tim Bee blocked the bill from coming up for a vote.

Bee, R-Tucson, said the bill didn't have the necessary votes to move forward.

Johnson said she believes many lawmakers facing tough races ahead pressured Bee to kill the bill so they wouldn't have to take a position on such a controversial issue.

"I'm sure (re-election) could be a factor," said lobbyist Dave Kopp, president of the Arizona Citizens Defense League, which supports the bill. "I'd like to think that it's not, but I'm not that naive."

The bill was a response to mass shootings at Virginia Tech and other universities and would have allowed those with a concealed-carry-weapons permit to bring handguns on the campuses of community colleges and Arizona's three public universities.

Johnson said she had Senate support for an amended version of the bill, which, among other things, would have required gun owners to take extra training courses and pass a proficiency test before carrying a weapon on campus.

The bill drew opposition from law-enforcement and school officials, including the Arizona Board of Regents.

Critics said having multiple gunmen at an incident could lead to greater confusion with police possibly shooting the wrong person.

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

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

The National Rifle Association backed the guns on campus proposal.

They maintained that students and teachers need a way to defend themselves from those bent on committing mass murder.

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

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