Posted on 04/14/2012 7:08:45 AM PDT by marktwain
PHOENIX - Guns in public buildings are just a Jan Brewer signature away from being legal, for the second time in two years.
On a 19-11 vote, the Senate on Thursday approved overriding existing laws that say governments need only to post a sign at the entrance of a public building to make it illegal for visitors to enter when armed.
HB 2729 would still allow government agencies to keep their buildings off-limits to guns, but only if they install metal detectors and armed guards at all entrances.
The vote sends the bill to the governor, who vetoed a similar measure last year.
But Brewer, who has pronounced herself a strong proponent of the Second Amendment right to bear arms, said that veto was not because she was against the concept. Instead, the governor said the wording was flawed and could cause potential confusion about exactly where people could and could not bring their weapons.
Rep. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, who is the sponsor of the new version, said the wording has been altered to address Brewer's concerns.
The legislation also does not include public schools or college campuses.
At the heart of the issue are arguments that the current law about posting buildings as gun-free zones is meaningless because the only people who obey the signs are those who comply with the laws. That, said Gowan, leaves them defenseless against those who ignore the signs.
That theme was echoed by Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson.
He said society is divided into three groups: unarmed sheep, armed sheepdogs and wolves, who are the bad guys.
"It takes sheepdogs to protect the sheep from the wolves," Melvin said. He said that is why Arizona needs more people who have permits to carry concealed weapons.
(Excerpt) Read more at azstarnet.com ...
>> He said society is divided into three groups: unarmed sheep, armed sheepdogs and wolves, who are the bad guys.
LOL! Sen. Melvin got that chain email too.
As cliche as it is, it’s the dead-on absolute truth.
Although I don’t carry myself (not yet, anyway), I feel safer when I know law abiding citizens around me *do*.
there are plenty of us out there who do, but as we say in AZ “concealed means concealed”
Plenty of us ...
The Arizona Citizens Defense League has prepared your letter to send to Governor Brewer, asking her to sign HB 2729, here:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=61185951
I have sent mine to Governor Brewer. It is a small but positive step.
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