Law may hinder Capitol security

Courier-Journal Louisville KY ^ | Wednesday, December 26, 2001 | Joseph Gerth

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Security personnel at the state Capitol in Frankfort may be unable to prevent people from carrying guns into the building because of legislative support for pro-firearms issues. Worried that the Capitol could be a target for terrorists, Kentucky's top two General Assembly leaders this fall endorsed spending about $100,000 for metal detectors in the building. The detectors are expected to be installed by the time the 2002 session opens Jan. 8. In 1998, lawmakers rejected an executive order by Gov. Paul Patton to ban concealed weapons from state buildings. Patton issued the order after the legislature passed a bill in 1996 allowing people to carry concealed weapons if they have a permit. The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, which along with the state police provides security in state buildings, is trying to determine if people with guns can be stopped from entering the Capitol or merely can be identified and watched. ''Right now, our legal people are looking at it to see what we can do,'' said Glenn Mitchell, deputy secretary of the cabinet. Sen. Gerald Neal, a Louisville Democrat who opposed the concealed-carry measure, said the situation ''underscores the need for us to not just fling open the door to the carrying of concealed deadly weapons. It is in our zeal to cater to certain interests that we have blindly walked into this irony.'' But the sponsor of the concealed-carry bill believes the metal detectors being installed to find guns are ''a massive waste of taxpayers' money.'' Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, said he'll introduce a resolution demanding the removal of the devices from the Capitol. He suggested giving them to schools or courthouses. Since the state doesn't ban carrying weapons in the open, some people believe guns can't be banned at the Capitol. But others argue that legislators could pass a ban, just as they prohibit guns in schools and judges have the authority to ban them from courthouses. State law does allow banning weapons in public meeting places, which Mitchell said would allow guns to be kept out of meeting rooms at the Capitol. Lawyers are trying to determine if the building's hallways can be considered public meeting places. Neal said he finds it laughable that legislators who a few years ago were passing the concealed-carry measure to put more guns on the street now support actions to keep guns out of the Capitol where they work. Damron's concealed-carry bill easily passed in both chambers. In the House, Speaker Jody Richard voted for it. Senate President David Williams didn't vote on the measure when it cleared the Senate but said he has come to favor it. When the metal-detector debate arose several weeks ago, Richards and Williams were ''favorably disposed'' to have them installed, said Legislative Research Director Bobby Sherman. Richards disputed Sherman's characterization of his position, saying he favors increased security but doesn't care one way or the other whether metal detectors are used. That decision belongs to the Finance and Administration Cabinet, Richards said. ''Whatever decision they make, we're going to live by it unless there is a law to change it,'' he said. Williams said he favors using metal detectors in the Capitol, whether to simply identify who has weapons or to refuse admission into the building. He also believes the legislature and the governor have the authority to establish a policy prohibiting guns in the Capitol, but he stopped short of backing such a policy. Williams said he sees no reason why anyone other than sworn law officers should need to be armed in the Capitol. He also defended the 1998 rejection of Patton's order to ban concealed weapons in the Capitol. Gun owners who have concealed-carry permits are typically law-abiding, he said. ''I haven't found a terrorist who has been convicted of anything who has a concealed permit,'' Williams said. Some legislators said they hope the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will persuade their colleagues to rethink their positions and put more restrictions on where guns can be carried. ''People should not be allowed and aren't allowed to take guns into the United States Capitol, the Pentagon or the CIA, and they shouldn't be allowed to take them into the state Capitol,'' said Senate Minority Leader David Karem, a Louisville Democrat. Sen. Ernesto Scorsone, a Lexington Democrat, agreed. ''I think Sept. 11 has changed a lot of minds about security and the possibility of folks doing some crazy things,'' he said. ''If we can't absolutely repeal the concealed-carry law, we should reinstate some of the restrictions and allow some facilities to ban concealed weapons.''

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I think Sept. 11 has changed a lot of minds about security and the possibility of folks doing some crazy things,'' he said. ''If we can't absolutely repeal the concealed-carry law, we should reinstate some of the restrictions and allow some facilities to ban concealed weapons.

Typical Democratic Politician. Looking out for number one...the @#%$ with everyone else. Hello out there Kentucky voters!!! This is your government in action...

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--typical hot air from the substandard jerks that get elected to public office by a small percentage of mostly uninformed voters--