After meeting with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Racine, Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, tabled an amendment to a bill that would allow all citizens with a concealed-carry permit to carry their firearms in a school zone.
The original bill, without amendments, would have allowed off-duty, out-of-state and retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed weapon on school grounds.
The original bill was supported by Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Jim Palmer, WPPA executive director, said.
“Law enforcement officers, like many parents, by virtue of their profession, are armed,” Palmer said. “For them to do something as simple as pick up their child from school or attend parent-teacher conferences, they may have to leave their firearm in their vehicle.”
Palmer added the bill would lift the “unnecessary restriction” for law enforcement who are trained to carry firearms.
The original bill also attracted Republican and Democratic legislators as cosponsors, including Rep. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville.
“Duey thought it made sense to have off-duty and retired law enforcement officers be able to carry their weapons in a school zone or school area,” John Soper, research assistant for Stroebel, said. “That had been allowed previously, and he wants to reinstate that ability.”
Officers were previously able to carry their weapons in a school zone until the passage of the concealed-carry law by the Legislature in 2011.
Kleefisch’s amendment did not attract full support of the Assembly, but did please Wisconsin’s National Rifle Association-chartered organization, Wisconsin Firearm Owners, Ranges, Clubs and Educators Inc.
Jeff Nass, WI-FORCE legislative affairs liaison, said the organization thinks all citizens should have a right to carry on school grounds.
“We support all law-abiding citizens carrying on school grounds. Retired law enforcement has a way to get a permit that you and I can’t,” Nass said.
However, Kleefisch’s amendment received mixed reactions, including from proponents of the original bill.
“It’s our elected board of directors that makes those determinations. They didn’t specifically consider it with Kleefisch’s amendment,” Palmer said. “That being said, I think it would’ve been unlikely they would’ve supported it given concerns across the state and country about school safety and gun violence.”
Soper said he thought the bill with Kleefisch’s amendment would come down to careful consideration for Stroebel, saying Stroebel would want to look at the issue more closely before officially standing one way or another.
Soper said he believes Stroebel would like to see the original bill brought back at sometime in the future.
“I understand that this amendment caused a lot of activity, but I know Rep. Stroebel is a supporter of the original bill, and he would like to see it brought back in the future, but it’s up to the chairman [Kleefisch] as to when that would happen,” Soper said. “Duey’s in favor of the bill and there are constituents that are in favor of the bill.”
