jsalcedo
February 19, 2004, 03:10 PM
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/7963048.htm
Posted on Mon, Feb. 16, 2004
R E L A T E D L I N K S
. DETAILS OF THE CONCEALED-GUN BILL
Sebelius still fires 'no' at gun bill
The governor remains opposed to a concealed-weapon measure coming up for
legislative debate.
BY STEVE PAINTER
Eagle Topeka bureau
TOPEKA - Rep. Candy Ruff says she never thought much about letting everyday
citizens carry concealed weapons before she heard a rape victim's story
during a 1997 legislative hearing.
Not long after that, she received calls from two women in her Leavenworth
district who had been raped. Both had bought guns and carry them, legal or
not.
"They all say the same thing. They're not going through that again," said
Ruff, co-sponsor of a bill to let citizens with clean records obtain
licenses to carry concealed guns.
As lawmakers begin debating the issue again this week one thing remains
unchanged: The governor opposes the effort.
Former Gov. Bill Graves, a Republican, vetoed a 1999 bill to allow
concealed weapons.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, reaffirmed last week that allowing
retired law enforcement officers to carry guns is as far as she's willing
to go.
Asked Friday if she'd changed her mind, she said simply, "No."
Ruff, a Democrat, and Rep. Gary Hayzlett, a Lakin Republican, are the chief
co-sponsors of the bill, dubbed the "Personal and Family Protection Act."
Among the other co-signers are seven Wichita lawmakers from both parties
and one each from Valley Center, Augusta, El Dorado, Mulvane and
Wellington.
Hearings on the proposal begin Wednesday in the House Federal and State
Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Bill Mason, R-El Dorado.
Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin are the last four states that have
no legal means for citizens to carry concealed weapons. Nine others have
what gun-rights advocates consider highly restrictive laws.
The rest of the states issue permits.
A Park City gun shop owner said the proposed law is long overdue.
"I think it would sure stop a lot of rapes, burglaries, thefts, because
they're not going to know whether you've got a gun or not," said Que Smith,
owner of Que's Gun Emporium.
He said he might see a slight uptick in sales of small guns if the law
passes, but he thinks many who feel they need to carry a gun for safety are
already doing so.
In past years, the city of Wichita has always opposed any bill that would
pre-empt local ordinances.
A bill that doesn't trump city ordinances would be useless, said Sen. Phil
Journey, a Haysville lawyer and longtime gun rights' advocate.
"There'd be no way to tell where you were violating the law and where you
weren't," he said.
This year, the Wichita City Council did not include anything about the gun
law in its legislative priorities and probably won't, Mayor Carlos Mayans
said.
"Frankly, we have not discussed that situation," said Mayans, who voted in
favor of concealed gun permits each time it came up during his 10 years as
a state representative.
Police Chief Norman Williams is not willing to let Wichita's local gun
ordinances go. The city laws prohibit carrying a concealed gun, loaded or
not, and prohibit carrying a loaded weapon even if it's in plain view.
More guns potentially mean more life-and-death decisions for police
officers on the street, Williams said.
"I'd like to be able to arrest someone for carrying a loaded weapon on the
street," he said. "I'd hate to put officers in a position where they have
to make a life-threatening decision of who's the victim and who's the
suspect."
Sedgwick County Sheriff Gary Steed shares the concern "that we'll just have
more guns out there."
Training is another issue, he said -- not just on how to shoot but when to
shoot.
The League of Kansas Municipalities also opposes local pre-emption. Most
cities with a police department have an ordinance mirroring state law on
carrying guns, said Don Moler, executive director.
Historically, law enforcement groups have split over the issue, with rank-
and-file officers endorsing conceal-and-carry and management opposed.
Lawmakers are likely to hear from police officers on both sides.
The Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed the bill, while groups
representing sheriffs, Highway Patrol troopers and police chiefs are not
taking sides.
Eric Haskin, president of the Kansas State Troopers Association, said most
troopers do not object to concealed guns.
"Criminal intent, to me, is a matter of will, not weapons," said Haskin,
based in Greensburg.
"The people who are out to commit a crime, they don't care if there's a
concealed-carry law or not," he said.
Haskin thinks many instances of criminal acts go unreported because they
are thwarted by gun-carrying citizens.
And he recalled a 1990 incident near Belle Plaine in which a citizen held
two men at gunpoint until troopers arrived. The two were being sought for
shooting a trooper 14 hours earlier.
They later pleaded guilty. The trooper recovered.
Posted on Mon, Feb. 16, 2004
R E L A T E D L I N K S
. DETAILS OF THE CONCEALED-GUN BILL
Sebelius still fires 'no' at gun bill
The governor remains opposed to a concealed-weapon measure coming up for
legislative debate.
BY STEVE PAINTER
Eagle Topeka bureau
TOPEKA - Rep. Candy Ruff says she never thought much about letting everyday
citizens carry concealed weapons before she heard a rape victim's story
during a 1997 legislative hearing.
Not long after that, she received calls from two women in her Leavenworth
district who had been raped. Both had bought guns and carry them, legal or
not.
"They all say the same thing. They're not going through that again," said
Ruff, co-sponsor of a bill to let citizens with clean records obtain
licenses to carry concealed guns.
As lawmakers begin debating the issue again this week one thing remains
unchanged: The governor opposes the effort.
Former Gov. Bill Graves, a Republican, vetoed a 1999 bill to allow
concealed weapons.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, reaffirmed last week that allowing
retired law enforcement officers to carry guns is as far as she's willing
to go.
Asked Friday if she'd changed her mind, she said simply, "No."
Ruff, a Democrat, and Rep. Gary Hayzlett, a Lakin Republican, are the chief
co-sponsors of the bill, dubbed the "Personal and Family Protection Act."
Among the other co-signers are seven Wichita lawmakers from both parties
and one each from Valley Center, Augusta, El Dorado, Mulvane and
Wellington.
Hearings on the proposal begin Wednesday in the House Federal and State
Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Bill Mason, R-El Dorado.
Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin are the last four states that have
no legal means for citizens to carry concealed weapons. Nine others have
what gun-rights advocates consider highly restrictive laws.
The rest of the states issue permits.
A Park City gun shop owner said the proposed law is long overdue.
"I think it would sure stop a lot of rapes, burglaries, thefts, because
they're not going to know whether you've got a gun or not," said Que Smith,
owner of Que's Gun Emporium.
He said he might see a slight uptick in sales of small guns if the law
passes, but he thinks many who feel they need to carry a gun for safety are
already doing so.
In past years, the city of Wichita has always opposed any bill that would
pre-empt local ordinances.
A bill that doesn't trump city ordinances would be useless, said Sen. Phil
Journey, a Haysville lawyer and longtime gun rights' advocate.
"There'd be no way to tell where you were violating the law and where you
weren't," he said.
This year, the Wichita City Council did not include anything about the gun
law in its legislative priorities and probably won't, Mayor Carlos Mayans
said.
"Frankly, we have not discussed that situation," said Mayans, who voted in
favor of concealed gun permits each time it came up during his 10 years as
a state representative.
Police Chief Norman Williams is not willing to let Wichita's local gun
ordinances go. The city laws prohibit carrying a concealed gun, loaded or
not, and prohibit carrying a loaded weapon even if it's in plain view.
More guns potentially mean more life-and-death decisions for police
officers on the street, Williams said.
"I'd like to be able to arrest someone for carrying a loaded weapon on the
street," he said. "I'd hate to put officers in a position where they have
to make a life-threatening decision of who's the victim and who's the
suspect."
Sedgwick County Sheriff Gary Steed shares the concern "that we'll just have
more guns out there."
Training is another issue, he said -- not just on how to shoot but when to
shoot.
The League of Kansas Municipalities also opposes local pre-emption. Most
cities with a police department have an ordinance mirroring state law on
carrying guns, said Don Moler, executive director.
Historically, law enforcement groups have split over the issue, with rank-
and-file officers endorsing conceal-and-carry and management opposed.
Lawmakers are likely to hear from police officers on both sides.
The Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed the bill, while groups
representing sheriffs, Highway Patrol troopers and police chiefs are not
taking sides.
Eric Haskin, president of the Kansas State Troopers Association, said most
troopers do not object to concealed guns.
"Criminal intent, to me, is a matter of will, not weapons," said Haskin,
based in Greensburg.
"The people who are out to commit a crime, they don't care if there's a
concealed-carry law or not," he said.
Haskin thinks many instances of criminal acts go unreported because they
are thwarted by gun-carrying citizens.
And he recalled a 1990 incident near Belle Plaine in which a citizen held
two men at gunpoint until troopers arrived. The two were being sought for
shooting a trooper 14 hours earlier.
They later pleaded guilty. The trooper recovered.
