Republicans from the Wisconsin Assembly met Jan. 20 to approve numerous bills that will expand gun rights in the state including increased concealed carry rights of licensed gun owners.
Assembly Bill 495, according to the Wisconsin State Legislature, allows “possession of a firearm in a vehicle on school grounds by a person with a license to carry a concealed weapon.” Here, “school grounds” refers to K-12 schools.
Several representatives first introduced the bill last August, with co-sponsorship from Senators Jacque, R – De Pere, Ballweg, R – Markesan, Felzkowski, R – Irma, Nass, R – Whitewater and Wanggaard, R – Racine. The Senate read the bill for the first time Jan. 21, referring it to the Committee on Senate Organization.
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Currently, a person is not allowed to possess a firearm on school grounds — doing so would be a felony. But, proposed Assembly Bill 495 would loosen this restriction, allowing for a person with a concealed carry permit to bring a firearm onto school property as long as it is stored in a vehicle.
Rep. Samba Baldeh, D-Madison, said if someone who legally owns a gun can bring it with them where ever it is they park for K-12 schools.
Baldeh said gun violence in schools is a problem, and the bill would only put children in harms’ way. Just over a month into the new year, Americans already experienced seven school shootings. In 2021, 34 schools experienced shootings.
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The new bill still restricts gun owners’ right to carry on school grounds to an extent, limiting them to their parked cars, but Baldeh still sees an issue in this.
“Scuffle problems can happen anywhere, like at the parking lot,” Baldeh said. “We see road rage where people fight in traffic and shoot guns … and violent crimes have been rising during the pandemic.”
Baldeh believes the bill does not accurately embody the Second Amendment’s intended standards. For him, the amendment is clear on allowing Americans to bear arms, mainly as protection in their homes.
“The more we allow the presence of guns all over the place, in every space, the more problematic, in my opinion, it becomes,” Baldeh said.
Some Wisconsin Democrats condemned the bill, calling it dangerous, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
If the bill passes in the Senate, it will go to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk, where he will likely veto it.
But, if a Republican wins the gubernatorial election this year, the bill could be reintroduced and passed. Currently, Alabama, Oregon, Rhode Island and Utah are the only states that allow concealed carry on K-12 school grounds.
In a public hearing held by the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, the School Administrators Alliance, Wisconsin Association of School Boards, WI Dept. of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Education Association Council all registered in opposition to the bill.
Groups registered in favor of the bill include the WI Bear Hunters Association and the WI Firearm Owners.
As for Dane County, the City of Madison’s Mayor’s Office released a statement Jan. 27 condemning AB-495, saying the bill would only make communities less safe.
Wisconsin Carry is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and advance the rights explicitly granted by the Constitution president and chairman, particularly the right to bear arms. Wisconsin Carry President and Chairman Nik Clark said the only reason Republicans introduced the bill is that they know Governor Evers will veto it, giving the Republican an issue to campaign on.
But, Clark said a benefit of the bill is that law-abiding citizens who have taken a course, passed a background check and obtained a concealed carry license would no longer be exposed to felony charges if they accidentally walk on K-12 school grounds.
Clark also said citizens with concealed carry would be able to defend themselves if they were attacked in their vehicle while picking their children up from school. Clark said this would not be an expansion of gun rights but a restoration of them.
Currently, the bill awaits a vote in the Senate. In addition to AB495, the legislature proposed a bill to change the age requirement to carry a concealed firearm from 21 to 18, according to The Cap Times.
