CAPITOLISMS: Have gun, will carry … into Capitol?

Listen to this article

So, what do you think of the Legislature’s plans regarding concealed carry in the state Capitol?

To catch you up, some in the Capitol want to allow anyone to bring a concealed weapon into most spaces of the building, though there are two main differences: Individuals would be allowed to bring their weapons into the state Assembly gallery, but not the state Senate’s, according to The Associated Press.

With the concealed carry law going into effect Tuesday, businesses, municipalities and other governmental units have been enacting policies for how they will enforce the law inside particular buildings.

Residents only need four hours of training before applying for a permit to carry.

Even though we are now months removed from the controversial decision from Republicans, lead by Gov. Scott Walker, to remove most collective bargaining rights of state employees, there is still a high feeling of resentment from Wisconsin residents; particularly in Madison, where protestors still gather every day at noon to chant pro-union songs.

“Regular citizens who abide by the law should be allowed to protect themselves,” Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, told the AP.

The move from legislators to allow hidden weapons into their own office building speaks to their commitment to the law, but also raises safety questions.

As much as everyone would like to think it’s not possible, how worried should you be the law could trigger violence against politicians? To this point, protestors have really yet to take any sort of forceful action against the legislators they criticize, except for maybe a spilled beer here or there and ballongate.

But I’m curious to see if you have any real concerns for the safety of your local elected official once November comes around and the number of people carrying handguns in this state will rise?

Email me your thoughts at [email protected] or leave a comment below.

Adam Wise writes his Capitolisms blog for the Wisconsin Law Journal and The Daily Reporter Newspaper. Follow him at dailyreporter.com/capitolisms.