[media-credit name=’MEGHAN CONLIN/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Scores of concerned onlookers packed the Capitol Assembly gallery Tuesday as Wisconsin state representatives voted to uphold the governor's veto of a bill allowing concealed carry.

In a 64 to 34 vote, the Assembly fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority necessary to override Gov. Jim Doyle's recent rejection of Senate Bill 403.

"[I] believe [Tuesday's] vote was a vote for public safety and sanity," state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said. "Had this bill been passed, this bill would threaten public safety, endanger our children, handcuff law enforcement and violate private property rights."

While Democrats lauded the override failure as a success for public safety, Republicans called the blocked bill disappointing and blamed two Democrats for the shortage of votes.

The two former SB 403 supporters, Reps. John Steinbrink, D-Pleasant Prairie, and Terry Van Akkeren, D-Sheboygan, changed their initial votes and cast ballots Tuesday to uphold the governor's veto.

"It's disappointing that Assembly Democrats have caved under pressure from Gov. Doyle to not override this veto and flip-flop on where they stand on the issue," said Mike Prentiss, spokesperson for bill cosponsor Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau.

Van Akkeren, though supportive of concealed carry, defended his change of vote in a press release, characterizing it as an informed decision reflective of police and constituent concerns.

"In all reality, I support the concept of allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons, assuming … proper public safeguards are included within the law," Van Akkeren said in the release. "As they say, however, the devil is in the details. And, in the end, it was the details of the bill which led me to my decision."

"Details" of the bill included no positive identification or fingerprint requirements for licensing, a provision many opponents viewed as insufficient to the needs of law enforcement officials.

SB 403 also would have allowed concealed weapons — including handguns, knives, billy clubs and electronic weapons — on the University of Wisconsin campus, though not in university buildings.

The bill, however, was originally passed with certain protective amendments, including a lowered legal blood-alcohol content for carriers of concealed weapons, a 100-foot barrier around schools and a mandatory retraining program every five years.

Additionally, SB 403 would have prohibited concealed weapons inside certain facilities, including schools, hospitals and domestic violence shelters.

Although Democrats appreciated the safety provisions, they maintained the bill is hazardous to both the public and to other more important issues.

"Now that this issue of concealed carry is behind us, I hope that we start talking about the issues that are facing middle class families here in Wisconsin," Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, said, adding more time should be spent considering issues like health care, heating costs and education.

As Democrats are pushing concealed carry into a corner, Republicans said the issue is anything but dead, pointing to the defeat of the "Private Protection Act" as a breach of constitutional rights.

"This is a bill that many people in this state believe is the right thing to do," Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, said. "They believe, based on the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, … [they] have a right."

Republicans said they are determined not to let the issue dissolve and will persist in their efforts.

"I think it's safe to say the issue is not going to go away, but it's going to be a debate we're going to continue to have here in Wisconsin," Prentiss said.