TOWN OF JACKSON, WISCONSIN — State Rep. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) recently announced that Wisconsin should bring its concealed carry practices closer in line with federal guidelines outlined in the Gun-Free School Zones Act. Specifically, he’s looking to create avenues for concealed carriers to be legally allowed on school grounds.
According to WSAU 99.9FM News, there is renewed interest amongst lawmakers to broaden Wisconsin concealed carry practices. At present, it is not permitted for a concealed carrier to step foot onto school grounds while carrying his firearm.
As we’ve seen with Ohio and several other states, lawmakers are seriously contemplating the advantage of allowing law-abiding citizens to carry on school property. This may lead into teachers and faculty being able to carry but, at present, the focus with Wisconsin’s Kremer is just to get his bill through the proverbial door.
Push back is certainly expected as many parents and school administrators don’t understand that bad guys don’t abide by “gun free zones”. There’s a big change coming in mentality as violence isn’t contained to just designated spots.
Whether or not this proposal turns into a bill and it makes it, one day, to the governor’s desk is a different story altogether. Measures have to take a long winding path before they become law. We’re merely happy Wisconsin is at least considering the potential that law-abiding gun owners can provide to their security and well being.
Right now, it’s a felony offense.
This can be potentially disastrous for otherwise law-abiding concealed carriers doing something as routine as picking their kids up from school or attending a basketball game on school property.
While there haven’t been too many known instances of parents getting arrested in Wisconsin for deviating from the current norms, it certainly could turn an otherwise routine occurrence into a hard criminal record.
We’ve argued ardently against “gun free zones” in the past. They don’t work and there’s no point in defending their existence. Criminals need to have that fear that their actions may have immediate and permanent consequences should they try violence at any venue — be it a school or otherwise. If a criminal has to contemplate as to whether or not a teacher is armed or a parent in the audience is armed, that may make the difference between choosing a soft target and holding off altogether.
Concealed carry everyday, where legally possible — that’s what we’ve always said and we hope for those folks in Wisconsin, they’ll have one more place they don’t have to disarm beforehand.
