The Wisconsin legislature is divided once again, on a new hot-button topic: Whether citizens should be able to carry guns in the state Capitol, into legislators’ offices, and into the Assembly and Senate chambers themselves.
The state Capitol has, of course, been the site of massive protests against Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-public employee union legislation. Amazingly, tens of thousands of people swamped the Capitol at various times in passionate, and very loud demonstrations — but without any major disturbances of the peace.
But would an armed state Capitol also be a polite state Capitol?
The Wisconsin State Journal reports the legislature appears to be splitting on the idea of concealed-carry in the Capitol. The overwhelmingly Republican Assembly is in favor, but the only narrowly Republican (after the recent recalls) state Senate is coming down against it.
The resolution of this impasse is not yet final. But as of now, it appears the state could be headed for a split result on this question — guns would be permitted in the Capitol, but not in the Senate.
This result is coming about due in part to the opposition of one key Republican, state Senate President Mike Ellis:
“We have enough problems as it is without having Tom Mix and Hopalong Cassidy with their six-shooters out here,” Ellis said.
Ellis said he opposed having guns in the state Capitol at all.
“They shouldn’t be in the Capitol period, but we lost that one,” Ellis said. “So we should at least keep them out of the balcony and off of the floor of the Senate.”
