AZ: Reform of Public Building Ban Sabotaged in Senate

Ammoland ^ | 8 May, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Kansas and Texas have removed bans on the carry of guns by permit holders in the last few years.  Kansas allows local governments to prevent permit holders from exercising Second  Amendment rights in public buildings if the public building puts metal detectors and armed guards on all the entrances.

In other words, merely relying on a sign to prevent responsible and peaceful people from carrying arms, while not actively preventing criminals from carrying them, is no longer acceptable in Kansas.  Arizona is looking to follow Kansas’ lead.

The theory is simple.  Mere signage will not stop people who have evil intent from carrying concealed weapons into public buildings.   By placing signage, but without significant enforcement mechanisms, the signs effectively screen out the most law abiding, while doing little to keep out the most dangerous individuals.

The law has been popular in past legislatures, passing with veto prof majorities in the last two.  Both times it was vetoed by Governor Brewer; she was no longer running to be re-elected.  This law only applies to those who have taken the necessary classes, passed the background check, undergone the bureaucratic application and been granted a permit to carry concealed.   Arizona has 264,010 valid concealed carry permits as if April 24, 2016, or right at 7% of the adult population.

Police officers have always been exempt from the ‘gun free zone’ signs, and they commit crimes at a rate of 6-10 times as often(pdf) as concealed carry permit holders.

The primary obstacle to the bill’s passage has been Governor Brewer.  The new Governor, Doug  Ducey, seems a bit friendlier to Second Amendment supporters, at least in this early part of his term.  His office asked that an additional exception be added to the bill;

[marktwain]

The Arizona Citizens Defense League reports that Governor Ducey's office personnel asked legislators to sabotage the bill.

[fella]

Don’t some of the senators have an election coming up? Identify them and vote them out.

[Svartalfiar]

The Arizona Citizens Defense League reports that Governor Ducey's office personnel asked legislators to sabotage the bill.

And per the article, they were more than willing to comply:

After voting FOR the passage of SB 1257 during the Senate Third Read vote that moved the bill to the House on March 3, Senators Carlyle Begay, Steve Pierce and Bob Worsley, voted AGAINST the passage of SB 1257 during today’s Final Read vote. Additionally, Senator Jeff Dial decided to suddenly vanish from the chamber when SB 1257 came up for voting. The result of this sabotage was a tie vote that killed the bill.