March 31, 2017

Volume 3 Issue 9

State Representative Janel Brandtjen

                                                    "Right to Carry" bill introduced

Earlier this week, I coauthored a bill that removes licensing requirements to conceal carry a firearm, also known as “Right to Carry”. The bill is often referred to as "Constitutional Carry" as well. Under this law, law-abiding gun owners no longer have to jump through hoops and pay the state to practice their Second Amendment rights. Under current law, you can carry a firearm openly with no regulation, but have to purchase a license and get government approval to put it in your purse. Right to Carry aligns concealed carry laws with the state’s open carry laws, helping law abiding citizens easily understand what is expected of them.

This is the next logical step when it comes to your rights. In the last six years, well over 300,000 concealed carry licenses have been approved, and the left’s “wild west” argument just hasn’t panned out. It’s time citizens of Wisconsin have the same rights afforded to them to conceal carry as they do to open carry.

Also in the bill, the general prohibition against concealed carrying in k-12 schools is repealed, and is replaced with a straightforward license that allows for it, as to comply with federal law. Schools can of course opt out and still be posted as a gun free zone. The K-12 ban isn’t the only ban being lifted either. Included in Right to Carry is an option to carry in police stations, house of corrections facilities, and secure mental health facilities, so long as the building isn’t posted.

Finally, this bill allows for the widest options for law abiding citizens to protect themselves by allowing citizens to conceal carry tasers, granted they can legally carry a firearm.

A few things are not changed in this bill, mainly, that Wisconsin will still offer an optional license for those who wish to conceal carry in another state. Also, the ban on firearms inside of University of Wisconsin buildings is maintained.

Time get a handle on school referendums

Several members of the republican lead legislature joined together this week to introduce a package of six bills aimed at protecting taxpayers from overzealous school referendums.  The bill that I authored along with Senator Duey Stroebel will prohibit the “forever” referendum.  Many school districts have passed referendums that allow them to levy taxes that exceed the revenue limits, forever. My bill would require that the voters have the opportunity every five years to continue or end those revenue exemptions.  

The second bill would require all referendums to be placed on either the April or November ballot.  These elections have a significantly higher turnout than primaries or special elections.

The third bill would reduce state aid to a school district by 20% of the total amount of the excess revenue limit authority passed.  The bill would allow the school board by simple majority to rescind the revenue limit exemption and avoid the loss in state aid.

The fourth bill provides incentives for districts to save the money needed for future capital construction projects.  Right now school districts can place money into a fund 46 account for such projects.  Under the bill, the state would match any money the district would put in the fund 46 account as long as the district does not go to referendum.  If the district did go to referendum within 10 years of using the matching funds the matching funds would need to be paid back to the state.

The fifth bill would require school boards to propose their referendums only at the annual school board meeting.  This would allow much more public participation since the annual meeting is generally better attended.   

Finally, the sixth bill would require the school districts to post the entire cost of the referendum including debt service.  The example I saw stated a $11.3 million investment but the total cost was $17.2 million.  Voters should be informed of the actual cost to the taxpayer. 

I believe these measures give the taxpayers a more reasonable playing field, and school districts a greater set of tools to work with. 

God Bless Wisconsin!

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        Everyone has the right to protect themselves