FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW TO STATE CAPITAL NEWS AND UNIVERSITIES. DEPARTING FROM CURRENT RULES THAT PROHIBIT WEAPONS INSIDE UW AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE BUILDINGS STATEWIDE, A NEW REPUBLICAN BILL WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE WHO HOLD CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS TO BRING THEIR GUNS INSIDE THE CLASSROOMS. REPRESENTATIVE JESSE KREMER INTRODUCED THE MEASURE ALONG WITH SENATOR DEVIN LEMAHIEU AND SAYS IT’S NOT IN RESPONSE TO THE RECENT OREGON SHOOTING PER SE. INSTEAD IT’S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR MONTHS. I SAT DOWN WITH REPRESENTATIVE KREMER AT HIS CAPITOL OFFICE AND STARTED BY ASKING WHY HE’S PROPOSING THE CHANGE.

JESSE KREMER:

WELL, THERE ARE ACTUALLY REPORTS THAT HAVE COME OUT OVER THE PAST YEAR THAT WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD — PRETTY HIGH VIOLENT CRIME RATE AROUND SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES IN WISCONSIN. THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE HAD A PAPER THAT CAME OUT LAST DECEMBER TALKING ABOUT CRIME AROUND CAMPUS. THERE WAS ANOTHER NEWS ORGANIZATION IN MILWAUKEE THAT DISCUSSED CRIME AROUND CAMPUS IN FEBRUARY. AND THEN IN APRIL WE HAD AN ABSOLUTE RASH OF VIOLENT CRIME WITHIN A ONE-WEEK PERIOD AROUND THAT UNIVERSITY. RIGHT NOW, WE ACTUALLY IN WISCONSIN ALLOW CAMPUS CARRY. YOU’RE ALLOWED TO CARRY ON THE GROUNDS. HOWEVER, OUR BOARD OF REGENTS ARE ALLOWED TO BAN IT IN THE BUILDINGS. AND WHAT WE ARE IN EFFECT DOING IS WE ARE DISARMING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS BEFORE THEY EVER LEAVE THEIR VEHICLES. BEFORE THEY EVER LEAVE THEIR OFF-CAMPUS APARTMENTS, BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN WALK TO THE CAMPUS. AND ALL THE CRIMINALS AND ALL THE THUGS KNOW THIS. THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SOFT TARGETS. THAT THEY HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY WILL NOT BE CARRYING ANY WEAPONS. SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS ACTUALLY ALLOW THESE INDIVIDUALS-RESPONSIBLE CONCEALED CARRY HOLDERS- IF THEY WANT TO, TO BE ABLE TO CARRY IN THE BUILDINGS. AND IN DOING SO WE WILL NOT BE DISARMING THEM BEFORE THEY WALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WALK THROUGH THE CAMPUS. THERE’S A TRACK RECORD IN OTHER STATES. THEY HAVEN’T HAD ANY INCREASE, ANY VIOLENT OUTBREAKS OF CONCEALED CARRY HOLDERS CAUSING ANY ISSUES.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HAVE YOU HEARD SPECIFICALLY FROM CONSTITUENTS, THAT BEING STUDENTS OR FAMILIES OR EVEN TEACHERS THAT THEY WANTED THIS?

JESSE KREMER:

YES. I ACTUALLY TALKED TO A PROFESSOR THIS PAST WEEKEND AT STEVENS POINT AND HE SAID THERE ARE FACULTY MEMBERS THAT WOULD DO THIS, THAT WOULD CARRY IF THEY COULD. I HAVE ALSO — THERE’S ALSO A GROUP IN WISCONSIN CALLED STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY AND I’VE HAD LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM AND THEY’RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON THIS, ALSO. SO THERE ARE QUITE A FEW STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS OUT THERE. IT’S NOT JUST ONE-SIDED.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WOULD THIS ALLOW GUNS NOT JUST IN THE CLASSROOMS, BUT IN DORMS AND STADIUMS?

JESSE KREMER:

YES. RIGHT NOW THIS BILL DOES ALLOW IT IN DORMS AND STADIUMS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT ABOUT THE CONCERNS ON THE PART OF THE UW-MADISON POLICE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO SAY THAT ALLOWING CONCEALED WEAPONS INSIDE A BUILDING LIKE CAMP RANDALL FILLED WITH 80,000 PEOPLE CREATES A MAJOR SECURITY ISSUE.

JESSE KREMER:

SURE. WELL RIGHT NOW WE DON’T KNOW ARE THERE PEOPLE THERE WITH WEAPONS ON THEM ALREADY WHO ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE CONCEALED CARRY HOLDERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY CRIMINALS AND THUGS THAT MAY CAUSE A PROBLEM? NOW, IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE CONCEALED CARRY HOLDERS, THEY CAN ACTUALLY STOP A PROBLEM BEFORE IT EVEN BEGINS. OUR UNIVERSITY RIGHT NOW CANNOT GUARANTEE–THEY DON’T HAVE METAL DETECTORS AT THE DOOR. THEY DON’T HAVE ARMED GUARDS THERE SEARCHING THE BAGS. THEY CAN’T GUARANTEE THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING INTO THE BUILDING IN THE FIRST PLACE, THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO CAUSE MAYHEM IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT ABOUT THE CONCERNS OF KIND OF THE MIX OF ALCOHOL AND DRUNKENNESS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES WITH GUNS? SAY IT’S IN A DORM OR AT THE STADIUM OR ANYWHERE ELSE?

JESSE KREMER:

WELL THAT’S ANYWHERE ELSE IN SOCIETY. THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH CONCEALED CARRY COURSES – THEY’RE NOT YOUNG KIDS. THEY’RE NOT IRRESPONSBILE PEOPLE. THEY GO THROUGH THAT COURSE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DO THINGS PROPERLY AND GO THROUGH THE RIGHT LEGAL MEANS TO ACTUALLY CARRY. SO THESE ARE RESPONSIBLE, LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS. AND RIGHT NOW FRANKLY WE’RE TREATING OUR STUDENTS IN OUR COLLEGES AS A LESSER GROUP OF CITIZENS THAN THE REST OF SOCIETY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SOME FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE SAID THAT THEY DON’T LIKE THE PROSPECTS OF THEIR STUDENTS HAVING GUNS IN CLASS AND SUGGEST THE CAMPUS CARRY WOULD HURT RECRUITMENT, BOTH OF FACULTY AND STUDENTS AT THE UW. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?

JESSE KREMER:

I DON’T BELIEVE THAT. UTAH HAS DONE THIS FOR YEARS SINCE 2006. COLORADO HAS DONE IT. ACTUALLY COLORADO, THERE ARE SOME REPORTS OUT THERE AT UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS, THEY’VE ACTUALLY HAD A REDUCTION IN FORCABLE AND NON-FORCABLE RAPES ON CAMPUS SINCE THEY IMPLEMENTED THIS. NOW WHETHER THAT’S ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE CONCEALED CARRY LAW OR NOT IS UP FOR DEBATE. BUT THERE HAS BEEN A DECREASE IN CRIME ON THESE CAMPUSES. AND I BELIEVE IF YOU HAVE A DECREASE IN CRIME ON CAMPUSES LIKE UW-MILWAUKEE — BECAUSE RIGHT NOW OUR SECURITY AND FIRE SAFETY REPORTS THAT COME OUT ON THE CAMPUS EVERY YEAR DON’T TELL THE STORY ABOUT CRIME AROUND THE CAMPUS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THE UW SYSTEM FOR NOW SAYS IT IS NOT IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL, BUT THEY SAY THAT THEY’RE IN DIALOGUE WITH YOU. THEY SAY THAT WHAT THEY’RE SEEKING IS FLEXIBILITIES FOR EACH CAMPUS KIND OF TO DECIDE WHAT MIGHT BE BEST GIVEN THE MAKEUP OF THEIR CAMPUS. WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THEM AND THEIR NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY? AND ARE YOU WILLING TO OFFER THAT?

JESSE KREMER:

WELL, I ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING SET UP TOMORROW WITH MR. CROSS AND I’M GOING TO BE TALKING TO HIM ABOUT THIS BILL IN PARTICULAR.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND SO YOU THINK THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO MAKE CHANGES TO IT?

JESSE KREMER:

I AM ALWAYS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND I WILL LISTEN TO ANYONE ABOUT ANY ISSUE IN DEALING WITH MY BILLS OR ANYTHING ELSE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

UW-MILWAUKEE POLICE CHIEF JOSEPH LEMIRE IS SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH REPRESENTATIVE KREMER TO TALK OVER THE BILL NEXT WEEK. UW-MADISON POLICE CHIEF SUSAN RISELING HAS COME OUT AGAINST THE PROPOSAL.