Representative Jesse Kremer
(R-Kewaskum) announced plans to introduce legislation during the 2017-18 legislative session that would
allow concealed carry permit holders to carry weapons on private school
grounds. Kremer expects to author additional legislation to allow concealed carry
permit holders to carry weapons on public school grounds and college campuses. He
sponsored similar legislation during the 2015-16 session regarding concealed carry on UW system and technical college campuses as well as public school grounds, but those bills did not
advance. In addition, Kremer voiced his support for allowing licensed teachers
and school staff keep guns in schools.
Bill would allow licensed
guns at private schools
Town of Jackson — A state lawmaker said
Saturday he would introduce a bill to allow licensed gun owners to carry
weapons on the grounds of private schools, and he expects to advance similar
bills aimed at public K-12 schools and college campuses.
State
Rep. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) said the state's concealed carry law, which
restricts permit holders from taking their weapons on school grounds, needs to
be adjusted to match the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, which includes an
exception for those with CCW licenses. He said the effort is targeting
private schools first because "it's an easier lift" politically.
Kremer
also believes schools should be permitted to let licensed, trained
teachers and other staff keep guns in schools as a means to stop deadly
mass shootings like those at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University
and Sandy Hook Elementary.
"This
is a real issue," he told an audience gathered Saturday at a forum on
school security he organized at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School.
"This is not fear mongering."
About
three dozen people listened and some posed questions to a panel made up of
teachers, concealed-carry advocates, parents, law
enforcement officials and the host school's superintendent. The
panel and those who spoke favored giving schools more authority to include
armed teachers as part of their security plans. Former WITI-TV Channel 6
reporter Katrina Cravy served as moderator.
Michael
Maas, a middle school teacher at Morning Star Lutheran School in Jackson, said
that when his school does a lockdown drill, "I grab my aluminum baseball
bat. It's the best weapon available to me," though it would do little to
stop someone firing a gun into his classroom.
The discussion ranged from
whether school staff can use Tasers or pepper spray (not Tasers, possibly
spray) to the value of special locks on classroom doors to how much
training is required to get a concealed-carry permit (none involving live fire) and
even whether teachers with guns is anti-Christian.
Hartford
Mayor Tim Michalak said even Jesus' disciples used swords at
Gethsemane. "You have the right to defend the life the good Lord
blessed you with," he said to applause.
Kremer's
bill would only allow permit holders to keep their guns on school property. It
would be up to each private school, he said, to set policies about taking the
weapons inside buildings.
Panel
member Kevin Michalowski, editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, said under current
law parents who carry a gun must remove it and put it back on every time they
enter and leave school grounds to drop off or pick up students. That kind of
"administrative handling" is when many unintentional firearm
discharges occur, he said.
David
Bartelt, superintendent at Kettle Moraine Lutheran, said the school's security
planning is always evolving and arming staff is still only a concept. He said
he hasn't yet surveyed parents because he doesn't want to cause division,
but said he was a little surprised no one turned out Saturday to strongly
oppose the idea.
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