Posted on 08/28/2003 1:56:50 PM PDT by jdege
By TOM KERTSCHER
tkertscher@journalsentinel.com
Last Updated: Aug. 28, 2003
Racine - In what may be the first action of its kind in the country, a Racine alderman said Thursday that the Racine Common Council will approve a resolution opposing legislation to allow Wisconsin residents to carry concealed weapons.
Two national organizations that also oppose concealed carry say it would be the first time a U.S. city has formally opposed such a bill.
But state Rep. Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford), one of the sponsors of the weapons bill, said it will easily pass the Legislature and be sent to Gov. Jim Doyle in October. Doyle has expressed opposition to the so-called concealed-carry proposal, but Gunderson said he is not assuming the governor will veto the bill.
Racine Ald. Pete Karas said he will introduce his resolution to the Racine Common Council on Tuesday and the council likely will vote on it Sept. 16. A majority on the 15-member council already supports the resolution, given that seven have signed on as co-sponsors, he said.
Karas said the resolution is not an anti-gun statement but opposes the concealed-carry proposal because it would lead to more gun crimes and gun accidents. The resolution is important because it will underscore how most Wisconsin residents oppose allowing concealed weapons to be carried, he said.
Karas agreed that the Legislature is likely to approve the bill, but said he expects Doyle to veto it. He said he wants to build opposition in case the Legislature would attempt to override a veto.
Gunderson acknowledged that polls have indicated most Wisconsin residents oppose a concealed-carry law. But he said that is only in the abstract, and that once people learn that the bill requires weapons training, an FBI background check and the issuance of a permit, they support the measure, he said.
Spokesmen for two Washington, D.C.-based national organizations that oppose concealed-carry - the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence - said they believe no American city has formally opposed a concealed carry bill before it was enacted into law.
Cities have tried to restrict concealed-carry laws, "but this is the first time that I know of a city that got ahead of the curve," said Khalid Pitts, state director of the coalition.
Richard Baker, treasurer of the Greenfield-based Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association, which was formed to support the bill, said opposition such as the Racine resolution is misplaced because 44 states already allow concealed weapons to be carried.
"At this point it's kind of like having this huge debate over issuing people drivers licenses and having them go out on the road," he said.
Everyone knows the surest way to fight crime is to make it so only criminals carry guns. And the surest road to "gun safety" is to only let doofus drunks and gang-bangers carry guns.
I also agree and I also grew up in Racine. It's not the worst town or anything, but it definitely has its problems. I much prefer living in Simi Valley, California, which is the safest city in the nation (for populations over 100,000). And even though California allows localities to stonewall the issuance of concealed carry permits, Simi Valley has been reasonably liberal about providing them (following some public pressure a few years ago).
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