Gun bill not likely to survive Lawmaker who cast last year's deciding vote opposes '05 version By Anita Weier
The assemblyman who cast a deciding vote last year against overriding the governor's veto of a bill allowing people to carry concealed weapons in public does not like the bill this time around, despite changes aimed at softening opposition.
Rep. Gary Sherman's vote was controversial at the time, because he voted for the bill before voting against the veto override. At the time, Sherman said he was helping preserve minority power by showing Republicans that they need to work with Democrats.
Sherman, D-Port Wing, said he would definitely vote against the current bill. It has already been approved by the state Senate and is on the Assembly agenda for Tuesday. It is expected to be approved by the Republican-dominated Assembly, and Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has said that he will once again veto the legislation.
But Sherman said he doesn't expect a mere one-vote margin preventing a veto override this time around.
"It's still pretty radical," Sherman said of the current bill. "Almost all of the sheriffs in my district oppose it."
Moreover, he added, some people who are concerned about maintaining Second Amendment protections fear it is a type of gun control.
"I would prefer to see 'may issue' rather than 'shall issue' a permit," Sherman said. "Given that public opinion is somewhat skeptical, 'may' would give local law enforcement some authority to issue at their discretion."
States that have passed such legislation in the past tended not to do it all at once, he said.
"It's too big a step after 130 years," Sherman said. "We need something in between. And we need more statesmanship and less politics."
The bill permits a person to carry a concealed weapon, except where prohibited, if the person holds a license to carry a concealed weapon. The state Department of Justice would design application and renewal forms and decide whether an applicant is qualified to receive a permit or whether a permit should be suspended. An applicant must display a valid driver's license or state ID card to a notary before submitting the application, must take a firearm training class and must not have been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors within the preceding three years. A person may not carry a concealed weapon if his or her alcohol concentration exceeds 0.08.
The bill was amended to allow police and troopers making traffic stops to have access to the names of those who have gun carry permits before they approach the vehicle, so they would know if someone might have a weapon.
Changes also were made to add to the list of places where concealed weapons could not be taken. The bill originally listed police stations, jails and courthouses. A substitute amendment added licensed child care centers, a building used for religious worship, a health-related facility, a building located on a college campus, a nonprofit organization that serves children or families, and a domestic violence victim services program.
Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, the author of the bill in the Assembly, is optimistic.
"The Senate certainly did what we expected, voting 23 to 10 for the bill. We expect it to be the same for the override," Gunderson said. Twenty-two votes would be the required two-thirds for a veto override.
He added that he hopes Sen. Luther Olson, R-Ripon, will also support the override, though he voted against the bill last week. Last year Olsen was one of two Republican Assembly members, along with John Townsend, R-Fond du Lac, who switched votes to support the override after opposing the bill.
"In the Assembly we are working very hard and hoping for 66 votes, the magic number for an override. We came a long way with some of the changes we made. We are very close to having it become law in Wisconsin," Gunderson predicted.
"We were just one vote short in the last session, with Rep. Sherman flipping his vote. We have some other legislators wanting very much to vote for the bill. We hope we can convince a few why it is important. We will pass this out of the Assembly and wait and see what the governor does. If it comes back over, there will be a veto override vote and we will see what happens."
Gunderson said the bill is important because people have the right to protect themselves and their property. Wisconsin residents already have the right to legally carry weapons in their home, business or other property, he noted.
"It's very clear that people should have the right to do that. The state and U.S. constitutions make it clear that this should be the law in Wisconsin," Gunderson said.
The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association opposes the bill on the grounds that permit information would be available to law enforcement only in the very narrow circumstance of a traffic stop.
"It takes a major tool away from sheriffs deputies and police officers when dealing with other contacts or criminal cases," said Sauk County Sheriff Randy Stammen.
Jeri Bonavia of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort pointed out that, under the legislation, cities and counties could only prohibit permit holders from carrying hidden and loaded handguns into municipal buildings if they purchase and staff detectors at every entrance and provide storage for weapons.
"Such measures would cost millions of dollars, amounting to a massive unfunded mandate for Wisconsin municipalities," Bonavia said in a written statement.
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/index.php?ntid=64839&ntpid=3*FW Note:The only thing that makes the program so expensive is that someone wants control. Someone in governmetn doesn't trust The People so they are creating administrative roadblocks.
:wink:
