Conceal/Carry Moving Fast

[GatorBait]

Madison - The state Senate passed a concealed-carry measure by a 25-8 margin Tuesday.

"This is a great victory for the people of Wisconsin and for the 2nd Amendment," said Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau). "The right to protect ourselves by legally carrying a firearm is long overdue and I'm glad we're joining 48 other states with this law - finally."

The measure now goes to the Assembly, which is expected to pass it. It would then go to Gov. Scott Walker, who supports the bill.

The measure would require people to get training and permits to carry concealed weapons, after some Republicans earlier pushed a the bill that would let people do so without training or permits.

Wisconsin and Illinois are the only states that have outright bans on carrying concealed weapons. Gun rights advocates for years have pushed allowing concealed weapons in Wisconsin, but they were thwarted by then-Gov. Jim Doyle or Democrats in the Legislature.

Under the bill, the state Department of Justice would have to issue permits to state residents 21 or over who got training and cleared background checks that showed they were not felons or otherwise prohibited from carrying guns.

Republicans have said the law is necessary to ensure people have the right to protect themselves, while many Democrats have decried the plan because they say it would make the public unsafe.

Training required permits would cost a maximum of $50 and be good for five years. Renewing a license would cost $25. To get a permit, people would have to offer proof they have passed a course on firearms training, firearms safety or hunter safety.

People with permits from other states could carry concealed weapons in Wisconsin as long as they had gone through training and a background check.

Guns would be banned from law enforcement offices, prisons, jails, courthouses, secure mental health facilities, school grounds and the areas of airports past security checkpoints. Private businesses could post signs banning guns; similar postings could be put up in city halls, the Capitol and other public buildings.

Guns would be allowed in all city and state parks, an issue that raised concerns among some opponents of the bill.

Permit holders could carry guns in taverns and other places that sell alcohol, provided they were not drinking. Democrats said they saw a loophole in the bill because people would be able to drink in some parks while carrying guns.

Under current law, guns are banned in schools, on school grounds and in school zones - the area 1, 000 feet beyond school grounds. The bill would keep in place the ban on carrying guns in schools and on school grounds, but would allow permit holders to carry guns in areas just off school grounds.

Private businesses could post signs to keep guns out of their buildings. Those who allowed guns in their businesses would be immune from legal liability, but the bill does not provide immunity for those who post signs barring guns from their properties.

Signs could also be posted in government buildings, such as city halls and the state Capitol. But guns could not be banned from government-owned grounds, meaning they could be carried on the Capitol lawn or the Milwaukee Public Zoo.

The money would from the permits be intended to cover the cost of staffing and building a database of permit holders. Those costs are estimated to total about $3 million over two years.

Whenever carrying concealed weapons, people would have to have permits and photo IDs with them. If they did not have their permit with them, they could be fined $25, though the fee would be waived if they presented their permit and ID within 48 hours.

Those who carried guns without a permit would be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Police would have just limited access to the database of those who hold permits. They could check it only to confirm the validity of a permit that someone produced or to investigate whether someone lied in applying for a permit. Police could not routinely check the database when pulling someone over.

The names of those who hold permits would not be available under the state's public records law.

The bill would also allow people to carry loaded, uncased guns in their cars. Under current law, guns are allowed in vehicles only if they are unloaded and encased.

Those who got permits would also be able to carry Tasers and other electric weapons, which are banned under current law.

Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill allowing "constitutional carry" - that is, the ability to carry concealed weapons without training or permits. But Republican Gov. Scott Walker later said he wanted the bill to require permits and training, and lawmakers rewrote the bill to require that.

Walker supports the current version of the bill.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn and Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm have sought changes to the bill to stiffen penalties for those who illegally carry guns or buy guns for felons.

Lawmakers passed bills to allow concealed weapons in 2003 and 2005, but then-Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed them. From then until recently, Democrats were able to block such bills because they controlled at least one house of the Legislature.

[RiverFish]

Fitzgerald says: "This is a great victory for the people of Wisconsin and for the 2nd Amendment," said Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau). "The right to protect ourselves by legally carrying a firearm is long overdue and I'm glad we're joining 48 other states with this law - finally."

But you have to be 21 to carry a gun, so if you are a 18,19,20 year old adult(legally an adult) you don't have the same right?? These adults don't have the same rights???

I bet this will be challenged.