Wisconsin CCW Live Feed

Wisconsin Assembly ^ | Feb 3, 2004 | Shooter 2.5

[Shooter 2.5]

The vote was supposed to be at 10:00 after the roll call. Now as I was typing it was supposed to at 1:00.

They just announced the break will be over at 2:00 and the override vote taken then.

For the beginners who have never seen the way this works, this is very typical. Votes that were supposed to be over in the morning had dragged on into the night.

[petro45acp]

They just adjourned for Caucuses (Cauci?) and lunch. Back at 2PM with the override vote immediately after call to order.

fingers crossed, prayers launched.

[Shooter 2.5]

You're correct. Alaska did it this way and now Colorado is doing the same.

Trying to do it through the courts didn't help Ohio. Anti-gun judges refuse to comprehend a simple sentence.

[dd5339]

Ping to watch!

Prayers for Wisconsin.

Semper Fi

[Lando Lincoln]

Great effort Shooter 2.5. I hope this happens in my home state of Wisconsin. Now, if only my adopted state of Illinois........

Lando

[Dead Corpse]

If it works, I may have to take back some of those less than polite things I've said about you in the past... ;-)

[m1-lightning]

It may not be regaining our full right but it's forward progress. Here's a question: What stops someone from carrying a firearm that's NOT concealed when refering to a state with a CCW clause in it's constitution?

[ChefKeith]

They know that they are being WATCHED and don't like it.

SUCK the sewer ploticians, You work for Us and it is time to realize that FACT.

[m1-lightning]

Concealed carry up for vote

By Scott De Laruelle The State Assembly is expected to vote today on whether to override Gov. Doyle's veto of Senate Bill 214, which would lift Wisconsin's 130-year ban on carrying concealed weapons. On Jan. 22 the State Senate voted 23-10 to override the veto, leaving the fate of the bill to the Assembly.

A vote in favor of the override would remove the ban. The last time the Wisconsin Legislature overrode a governor's veto was in 1985.

The vote was delayed twice last week, prompting some Democrats to claim the Republican-controlled Assembly is delaying the vote because they lack the necessary 66 votes to override the veto.

Democratic Rep-elect Barbara Toles of Milwaukee will be sworn in Tuesday after a special election last week to fill the Assembly's only vacancy. Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo said the vote was delayed to assure Democrats would not take advantage of any absences.

All but two of 59 Republicans in the Assembly and seven Democrats voted for the bill in November. The bill passed, 64-35, two shy of the 66 votes needed to override the governor. The delay has placed additional pressure on the legislators that bucked party lines in that vote.

Battle intensifies

Both sides used the days following the postponement to entrench their positions, and launch attacks on their opposition. Doyle issued a written statement after the vote was postponed.

"Republicans did not have enough votes to override my veto," Doyle said. "Unfortunately, they did not have the courage to take this vote on schedule in the full light of day."

In the past weeks, dozens of Assembly members received a variety of threatening e-mails on the issue. One sent to lawmakers who had favored the override suggested their vote "statistically increases the chances of your being assassinated."

Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, received an e-mail Jan. 22, signed by "A Concerned and Proud Armed Citizen" warning his vote to sustain the veto "has you as a marked man."

The letter continued, "You are an enemy of the state! You are a coward and an enemy to all that is good and just in this world. I for one would let you perish as the opponent of the second amendment you have been."

NRA against veto

Arnold Harris of Mount Horeb is an election volunteer coordinator for the National Rifle Association. He said he supports the bill because he would like the personal protection.

"If you can defend your home against and armed burglar, why can you not arm yourself to protect your own body?" Harris said. "This is something affecting the rights of the people."

Even if the veto is upheld, Harris said this issue is not going away any time soon.

"This is going to keep coming back again and again," he said. "I think a lot of valuable time is being eaten up to get something that's lawful in 46 states."

Harris said opposition to the bill is simply misguided.

"There are 46 states with some kind of conceal-and-carry law," Harris said. "And in all of these other states, there are no wild west shoot-outs or dire happenings, nor is it an inconvenience for the law enforcement that issues licenses in the other 46 states."

Law enforcement support veto

Robert Wierenga, president of the Wisconsin County Police Association, said sheriffs from about 65 counties and a number of state law enforcement groups are opposed to the bill and concerned with the added responsibilities the law would place on departments.

"This will place a huge burden on the counties, from clerks, judges, and the court system to oversee the bill," Wierenga said. "The responsibility of doing all the processing, background checks, and really tracking to make sure those whose permits are revoked or suspended if they are in violation of the law. It will not be something easily taken care of with the current staffing level."

Sauk County Sheriff Randy Stammen said the bill does not give adequate support to law enforcement agencies tasked to perform background checks and follow-ups on permit-holders.

"I can't do a background investigation in ten minutes," Stammen said. "This is going to put an undue hardship on the county of Sauk."

Wierenga said the bottom line is that the law will put more guns in the hands of more people.

"There are all kinds of statistics to prove a point one way or another," Wierenga said. "But the (law enforcement officers) I've talked to are concerned that people will have access to a weapon at their beckoning. We're all hoping the veto stands, and we can remain the safe state we believe we have, and continue to do our jobs in the way we have done in the past."

Tough to get permits

If the Assembly overrides the veto, Wisconsinites may find it difficult to get their concealed weapons permit. According to the Wisconsin County Police Association, which supports the veto, the vast majority of sheriff's departments will decline to issue permits for concealed weapons. This will leave relatively few counties to issue and monitor permits for the entire state.

"They will have to go to a county that is willing to issue permits," Wierenga said. "The burden will be on the citizen requisitioning a concealed weapon to drive where the permits are issued."

Support for bill

State Sen. Bob Welch said the vote is a choice for some between their party and the people.

"The personal protection act is very important to a lot of people in the state," Welch said. "I'm a supporter and optimistic even if we don't pass it (Tuesday), ultimately this will become the law in Wisconsin."

State Rep. J.A. "Doc" Hines said Monday that bad weather Tuesday may again postpone the vote.

"I'm very hopeful that we'll have enough votes to override the governor," Hines said. "Our speaker told us he won't have the vote unless everybody's here. If the weather's bad and some people can't get in, it may be postponed."

Hines said criminals have the most to lose if the bill is passed.

"I realize there are a lot of people opposed to this," Hines said. "But I am convinced because of the statistics from other states, it actually reduces violent crime simply because bad guys that could rob and hurt law-abiding citizens are not going to know who is carrying a gun. The only danger would be to the bad guys."
baraboo.scwn.com

[m1-lightning]

Bump!

[gnarledmaw]

I didnt hear squat from the NRA in the beginning and neither had anyone else. I resent their taking any credit other than helping to push an already rolling bandwagon.

[m1-lightning]

Robert Wierenga, president of the Wisconsin County Police Association, said sheriffs from about 65 counties and a number of state law enforcement groups are opposed to the bill and concerned with the added responsibilities the law would place on departments. "This will place a huge burden on the counties, from clerks, judges, and the court system to oversee the bill," Wierenga said.

The Wisconsin County Police Association does not represent all of the sheriffs' opinions from those 65 counties does it?

If anyone here has a lot of time on their hands, I'd like to see the opinion from each sheriff on this issue.

[Shooter 2.5]

Do your homework. Check the Wisconsin Assembly website. The NRA is listed as one of the few lobbyists who are for the CCW Bill.

While they are debating, count how many times the anti-gun libs blame the NRA for the CCW Bill. In all the times I have been creating live feeds for FR, I have never heard another gun group mentioned by the anti's.

[Shooter 2.5]

If this works, I don't care what people call me. LOL

Being a former resident of Oak Park, Illinois, I'm well aware as to how the CCW laws have stopped the handgun bans on the state level. Too bad, California hasn't had the message.

It's also a peachy way of making the dems into the anti-Rights party.

[ninenot]

In Wisconsin, carrying openly is called "Disorderly Conduct" and you will, if convicted, lose your rights to OWN a gun---not to mention carry concealed.

[ninenot]

IIRC, the first-time-around CCW bill (defeated) was not really an NRA effort.

But NRA took charge this time around, did some re-writing, and has put full-time lobbyist in Madison for the duration.

I do NOT recall if NRA was active for the Amendment which authorized "possession...for any lawful purpose..." passed several years ago.

[tpaine]

It may not be regaining our full right but it's forward progress.
Here's a question:

What stops someone from carrying a firearm that's NOT concealed when refering to a state with a CCW clause in it's constitution?
27 -m1-


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   Posted by Dead Corpse

If it works, it could be the proof that the "stepping-stone" method does in fact get the job done.
This could be the model for rolling CCW laws into REAL recognition of our Rights.

---

I have no problem with the stepping stone method, -- if it works..

The 'open carry' question has always been one of reasonable/rational police work, imo..
-- If a man is waving a gun around in public, arrest him for disturbing in peace. If he's walking home from a days hunt, let him be..
-- That's a cops job..

[GailA]

GOOD LUCK!

[Shooter 2.5]

I think we'll need it. That lady they swore in today is an unknown to me. From what I can tell from all the reports, Gary Sherman is the person who will decide what happens. His latest articles support the override but he's a dem.

[m1-lightning]

I'm glad you answered that. For my second question, how would you carry a concealed weapon on a hot day (shorts and t-shirt). I'm bringing this up because I believe open carry is an issue that needs to be brought up as well.