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Vos: Vote On College Concealed Carry Not Likely This Session

Measure Would Allow Guns In Classrooms And Stadiums

By
Ibro Palic (CC-BY-NC)

The Republican leader of the state Assembly says he doubts lawmakers will pass a bill that would let people carry concealed guns in university classrooms.

Wisconsin’s concealed carry law lets campuses restrict guns. A plan known as the Campus Carry Act would lift that ban. Rep. Jesse Kremer and Sen. Devin LaMahieu introduced the bill days after a gunman killed nine people at a community college in Oregon earlier this year.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he supports the plan because he thinks “gun-free zones” make universities vulnerable to criminals who will carry guns anyway.

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“But I also have not heard a hue and cry to say, ‘We’ve got to get this thing passed.’ So I doubt it will pass this legislative session,” Vos said.

While backers of the plan cite campus shootings in other states as the reason it’s needed, many University of Wisconsin faculty and Democratic lawmakers oppose the plan. They say having more guns on campus will damage the learning environment and won’t make the public any safer.

Currently, people can carry concealed weapons on college campuses but can’t bring them into classrooms or stadiums.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story featuring Associated Press content has been updated with original reporting.