The state Senate voted 23-10 Tuesday to pass a bill that would allow Wisconsin citizens to carry concealed weapons. Because it attained a two-thirds majority in its vote, the Senate will likely be able to override a veto by Gov. Jim Doyle.
Democratic state senators blasted the legislation during heated debate on the floor of the Senate yesterday, yet the body still rejected amendments that would have limited the scope of the bill.
State Sen. Fred Risser said people on both sides of the gun control debate should recognize flaws in this legislation.
'The details in this bill are still to be worked out,' Risser said. 'There are a lot of problems with this bill.'
Risser outlined a number of specific problems he had with the wording of the bill. He said it was 'risky' that the bill as written would allow Wisconsinites to carry guns into establishments that sell alcohol.
He also criticized provisions in the bill that would reduce the penalty from carrying a gun into a school zone from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Republicans praised the passage of the bill, saying it will help Wisconsinites protect themselves.
'Law-abiding citizens of this state have come one step closer to gaining the ability to protect themselves and their families,' state Sen. Dave Zien, R-Eau Claire, said in a statement. 'Courts have consistently ruled that police are not responsible for the protection of individual citizens. This bill gives citizens the tools to protect themselves.'
The legislators disagreed over whether state law-enforcement agencies supported or opposed the legislation. The bill's sponsors, Zien and state Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, emphasized that the Wisconsin Troopers Association endorsed the bill last week.
State Democrats, including Risser, maintained that the majority of state law enforcement opposed the bill.
Senate Majority Leader Judith Robson noted Wisconsin has not had conceal-and-carry laws for over 100 years and is still one of the safest states in the country.
Risser also criticized the five-year licensing period for guns, saying a person can change in various ways over a five-year period.
'People could become mentally unstable in five years,' Risser said. 'Eyesight might change over a five-year period.'
A similar bill passed the legislature in 2003, but Doyle vetoed it. The Senate voted to override, but the Assembly fell one vote short.
The state Assembly is expected to take up the bill next week.
