The authors of the concealed carry legislation in Wisconsin announced Wednesday they have the backing of the Wisconsin Troopers Association.
The declaration came just prior to an intense debate in the Joint Finance Committee meeting over the matter of whether Wisconsinites should be allowed to carry concealed guns, knives or billy clubs in public. The committee decided to pass the bill by a 12-2 vote.
The WTA said they would support the concealed carry legislation only if an amendment is passed which would enable police to know whether the owner of a vehicle has a license to carry a concealed weapon. Once a concealed carry license is granted, it would be noted in a person's vehicle registration; if a police officer were to pull the vehicle over, the officer would know of the concealed carry license upon running the vehicle's license plates.
"The amendment, as it is drafted, would allow law enforcement officers to have that information during traffic stops," Michael Bruhn, a spokesperson for State Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, a co-author of the bill, said. "It allows them to know if an individual is a concealed carry permit holder."
Casey Perry, executive director of the Wisconsin Troopers Association, said in a release the amendment is necessary if the concealed carry legislation becomes law.
"By linking a concealed weapons permit to vehicle registration, we will be able to avoid circumstances where a weapon is exposed without warning during a routine traffic stop," Perry said.
However, in a release, State Patrol Superintendent David Collins called the amendment "window dressing on a very dangerous, unnecessary piece of legislation." Collins said even with the amendment, police would still be at risk in other situations.
"Having more people carrying around loaded, hidden weapons under their coats … will not make Wisconsin any safer," he said. "It could put the public at risk, and it will make the job of law enforcement more difficult and more dangerous."
Passage of the concealed carry, or "Personal Protection Act," would make Wisconsin the 47th state to allow its citizens to carry concealed weapons, Bruhn said, noting people in the state should be able to protect themselves.
"It would allow an individual who is at least 21 years of age who goes through a thorough background check and has received training that is approved by the Department of Justice to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon," Bruhn said.
Wisconsin should have a law granting citizens the option to bear arms, Bruhn said, citing the Second Amendment to the Constitution.
"On average, states that have concealed carry legislation have lower crime rates than those who don't," Bruhn said.
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, a JFC member, said this was also a main argument made in the concealed carry debate last year, as proponents touted that 12 of the 17 safest states in the U.S. allow the carry of concealed weapons. But such an argument is contradictory and flawed, Pocan said, noting the remaining safest states were five of the six total states which did not have such legislation.
"The bottom line is, the safest states are the ones that don't allow concealed carry," Pocan said. "Ultimately this bill is not good for the public."
Both opponents and supporters of the bill agreed Gov. Jim Doyle is likely to veto the concealed carry proposal if it reaches his desk, which he has done in the past. Pocan lauded the notion, and said Doyle's actions have been in concurrence with the public's wishes. Seventy-five percent of residents in the state oppose the concealed bearing of weapons, Pocan said.
"His position has not changed," Doyle spokesperson Melanie Fonder said. "He doesn't think it would improve public safety and the vast majority of law enforcement continues to have concerns about it, as well."
