The state Senate overrode Gov. Jim Doyle’s veto of the conceal and carry bill on Thursday, leaving a successful repeal of Wisconsin’s 130 year-old-ban on concealed weapons up to a vote in the Assembly next week.
The Senate voted 23-10 on the measure, with five Democratic senators joining 18 Republican lawmakers to form the two-thirds majority needed to pass the override.
Doyle expressed disdain for the Senate’s reversal of his veto, arguing supporters of the legislation broke with the wishes of Wisconsin residents and police groups protesting the bill.
“It’s disappointing that members of the Senate abandoned the men and women of law enforcement today,” Doyle said in a written statement.
But supporters of the bill claim the majority of Wisconsin residents want the right to carry concealed weapons.
“It’s the philosophy of the governor against the philosophy of the electorate,” Jim Fendry, Director of the Wisconsin Pro-Gun Movement said.
A recent Badger Poll revealed that 69 percent of Wisconsin residents do not favor allowing individuals who can legally own a handgun to lawfully have the right to carry concealed weapons.
Before Doyle’s veto, the original bill passed both legislative houses late last year by bi-partisan majorities. The Senate approved the legislation by a 24-8 vote and the Assembly followed, passing the bill 64-35.
Passing the action now depends on whether the Assembly can successfully override Doyle’s veto. The Assembly previously passed the bill with only two votes short of a two-thirds majority needed for a successful override. Assembly Republicans are hopeful they can swing enough legislators in favor of the measure to ensure passage.
Republican leadership argues that democratic legislators should vote according to the wishes of their constituents rather than the political views of the governor. They warn that Democrats who fail to heed to the desires of those who elected them may face a difficult time gaining re-election.
“If they vote to protect Governor Doyle rather than their districts, there will be consequences,” Press Secretary for Assembly Speaker John Gard (R) Steve Baas said.
Some Democrats who voted for the override point to constituent pressures as their reason for supporting the measure.
“I have heard from hundreds and hundreds of constituents supporting this legislation just in the past few days. Over the years, my constituents have consistently told me that they support my leadership on these and other issues,” Sen. Roger Breske, D-Eland, said. “I committed to override the veto last fall and stuck to my guns today.
If the Assembly succeeds in overriding the veto, it will be the first time in more than 17 years the Legislature successfully overrides a governor’s veto, signifying one of the largest political setbacks of Doyle’s tenure in office.
Before deciding to vote on the action Thursday morning, the Senate considered the proposal to override hours before the governor’s State of the State on Wednesday, angering some Democrats who claim Republicans timed the planned override to embarrass Doyle.
Wisconsin is currently one of only four states that prohibit citizens from carrying concealed weapons. The others are Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois.
