The broad legislation would also allow some people to bring guns onto school grounds.
The bill by Sen. David Craig (R-Town of Vernon) and Rep. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) goes beyond the state’s 2011 law, which allows concealed weapons but reserves them for trained and licensed citizens. Instead, Senate Bill 169 would make Wisconsin a “constitutional carry” state where qualifying people could pack firearms without having to register with the state or pay government fees.
In a hearing Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, a Democratic supporter of the 2011 law said that by eliminating training requirements this latest measure crossed "one of those lines in the sand."
"I voted for concealed carry," Sen. Lena Taylor of Milwaukee said. "I think people have a right to carry but I believe that some levels of restriction are appropriate."
Craig and Felzkowski disagreed, saying that concealed carry is already working well in Wisconsin with very low levels of training. In addition, the state's constitution and laws already allow ordinary citizens to carry firearms without permits so long as those firearms are not concealed, they said.
"What I can not legally do in the state of Wisconsin is throw a sweater on" over a holstered pistol, Felzkowski said. "That's what we change."
Wisconsin was one of the last states to allow the carrying of concealed weapons. In the six years since passing that law, some Republicans have advocated for further changes that would allow "constitutional carry" or scale back restrictions on carrying guns near schools.
Republicans say there have been few problems and some successes from the more than 500,000 concealed carry permits that have been issued since 2011. Documenting that statistically, however, is challenging because unlike hunting licenses the concealed carry law specifically exempts most state records involving concealed carry permits from the state's open records law.
Currently, 12 states allow concealed carry without permits.
Under Wisconsin law, felons are prohibited from owning or carry firearms and the bill would not change that. But the proposal would drop state restrictions on owning and carrying a taser for anyone who is legally able to own and carry a firearm.
Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), the Senate panel's chairman and a former police officer, said he was carrying a concealed weapon at the hearing.
"This bill does not say you can't get training," Wanggaard said. "I personally think that if someone is going to carry they should get some training."
The proposal also would drop a blanket restriction under current law that prevents people from bringing guns into all police stations, secure mental health facilities and schools. Officials in charge of those places, however, would have the power to ban guns from their properties.
Even if guns were banned from school grounds, people could still bring them there if they left them in their vehicles, though those people would need permits to have guns so close to a school because of a federal law. The provision was included so that parents who carry weapons aren’t breaking the law when they pick up and drop off their children at school, supporters say.
On Wednesday, Wanggaard said that Republicans would also be seeking to amend the bill to allow people to step out of their cars while carrying concealed weapons so long as they don't leave the school parking lot.
Dan Rossmiller, a lobbyist for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, said his group opposed the legislation because it would allow more weapons to come onto school grounds.
"The majority of my members believe guns and children are not a good mix,” Rossmiller said.
The bill is supported by the National Rifle Association and also got a positive statement Wednesday from GOP Attorney General Brad Schimel, who stopped just short of endorsing the legislation.
"Senate Bill 169 represents a reasonable policy decision by the Legislature and it is not inconsistent with case law which has strengthened this right," Schimel said in a statement. "The Department (of Justice) will carry out its duty as directed by law. My commitment to the Second Amendment cannot be overstated."
While people would no longer need permits to carry concealed weapons in other places in Wisconsin, they would still be able to get them from the Department of Justice if they wanted.
The lawmakers left the permitting process in place because many other states recognize concealed weapons permits from elsewhere. Keeping in place Wisconsin’s permitting system would make it easier for people from here who want to travel to other states.
Lillian Price of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this article.
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