Northwestern Is Right on Concealed Carry:

Editorial: No proof hidden gun law makes streets safer

Commend Gov. Jim Doyle for promising to veto the bill that would allow concealed handguns. Nobody needs the increased level of government bureaucracy that this bill would allow.

Senate Bill 403 passed the Senate this past Tuesday. The Assembly voted on the issue in December. This is efficiency of government at work, but the euphoria is missing one thing. There's no chief threat to safety that needs more guns on the streets.

This bill doesn't guarantee that Wisconsin society will become safer with a law that lets people carry concealed handguns. This bill becoming law will mean we will read more stories about civic-minded people gunned down by officers mistaking them for the criminal element.

There's another dark side to this bill, too. Domestic abuse situations may mean less safety for our police officers. As state Sen. Fred Riser, D-Madison, has explained, police officers under this bill aren't allowed to know whether people involved in domestic disputes have a permit for a concealed gun

That's an affront to the safety of police officers and should be enough reason right there to veto this bill.

We note, too, that the lists of people with concealed gun permits won't be available to the public. That's absurd. People have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent especially. This isn't a permit for something people must have. It's a privilege. The public deserves to know who has a permit just as much as it deserves to know who has a boat permit.

Senate Bill 403 is a solution looking for a problem. Wisconsin lacks a reason for this bill. Therefore, Doyle should veto it.

Remember, this is one of the things that both Walker and Green have pledged to sign as soon as they take office.