Wisconsin's concealed carry bill may be soon become law, but it is running into some stiff opposition in Madison.
It is not surprising that Madison would not be a bastion of support for concealed carry. The city has been described as 'a fortress of unbridled liberalism' by one conservative critic and has a long history of opposition to Republican legislation.
But Mike Bruhn, an assistant of Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford, and a crafter of Wisconsin's concealed carry bill, said Madison would stand to benefit from a concealed weapons law.
According to Bruhn, Madison taxi drivers in particular should favor legalized concealed weapons. Citing recent armed robberies of drivers on Madison's south side, Bruhn said he would be 'shocked and dismayed' to find that taxi drivers were opposed to the bill.
But Richard Nesvacil, general manager of Madison Taxi, said his company would not allow drivers to carry concealed weapons. 'I don't think concealed carry would help cab drivers whatsoever,' Nesvacil said.
Nesvacil said there is little danger facing Madison cabbies. 'We've had four problems in the last 20 years,' he said.
Supporters of the bill argue that concealed weapons would help people walking alone at night by putting doubt in the minds of would-be criminals. Madison, with its large off-campus student body, has a particularly high number of late-night pedestrians.
But state Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, questioned that logic. If a criminal is going to surprise somebody late at night, she said, it makes no difference whether or not the victim has a gun. Berceau also said legalizing concealed weapons would bring nervousness to Madison.
'I just don't see any need to have the average citizen going around armed,' she said.
Bruhn, who is originally from Florida, rejected the claim that concealed weapons bring fear to communities.
'There's no sense of urgency; there's no sense of panic,' he said. 'There's 46 other states that have concealed carry in some form and there isn't any heightened fear.'
Supporters of the bill say statistics show concealed carry reduces crime. But Berceau questioned the validity of numbers that support concealed carry.
'States with concealed carry aren't any safer than Wisconsin,' she said.
Larry Gleasman, owner of Grandpa's Gun Shop, 1374 Williamson St., is in favor of concealed carry. Gleasman does not sell handguns, but said the possibility of a concealed weapon is a deterrent to potential attackers. He said he agreed with Berceau that concealed weapons would not prevent surprise attacks, but pointed out that in such situations the gun does no harm either.
Gleasman said legalizing concealed weapons would not change whether or not criminals have guns. 'They're not going to get a concealed carry permit anyway,' he said.
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, was particularly concerned with the possible presence of concealed weapons in Madison taverns.
'What would now be a bar fight, with a little shoving, might escalate into a shooting incident,' Black said.
Berceau said the combination had the potential to ruin one of Madison's favorite events.
'Think about some of the people that Halloween attracts,' she said.
Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said concealed weapons do not address the root causes of crime. 'There's so many other important issues that contribute in a positive way to public safety,' he said.
'When this is all said and done, the question that somebody has to ask is, 'Will our community, our state be more safe''? Wray said. 'I think it's pretty obvious.'
