MONROE - The Monroe School District will prohibit concealed weapons at its district office and the Monroe Public Library. However, what the posted sign will say to prohibit those weapons is still to be determined.
Gov. Scott Walker approved a concealed weapons bill in July; the law will take effect Tuesday, Nov. 1. Under the measure, concealed weapons will be allowed in most public places, businesses and churches, unless posted signs prohibit weapons in the buildings. Concealed weapons will still be banned from school buildings and grounds, law enforcement offices, prisons, jails, court rooms, secure mental health facilities and areas of airports beyond security checkpoints. The concealed weapons that will be permitted in many public places are hand guns, electric guns (Tasers), knives that are not switch blades and billy clubs.
Because the school district's offices are housed in the same building as the Monroe Public Library, it presents a grey area.
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown said there are some people who don't always see the district office as a school setting because of the library. The Monroe School Board Monday voted to allow Brown to post a sign prohibiting weapons, based on the advice of legal counsel.
"We are waiting on the opinion from our legal counsel," Brown said. "We have to find something that will stand up to the statue. There are a lot of people who will wait for the litigation to fall out."
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said the school district and library will have to post a sign to prevent someone from walking in with a concealed carry weapon.
Kelley said the sign is required to be 5 inches by 7 inches and have a clear notice prohibiting concealed weapons in the building.
In "any new law, there is a period for people to get used to it," Kelley said. "We will probably get people confused about where they can carry. To be quiet honest, there will probably be a flurry of this (concealed carry) in the first year or two. After that, it will probably wane."
Monroe surveyed other school districts in the Badger Conference. Brown said very few school districts at the start of the year felt it was not appropriate to post concealed carry signs on their buildings.
"In the last two weeks, a lot of people have changed their minds," Brown said. "Many schools are relooking at that."
The law will requires citizens with a concealed weapon to get firearms training from an instructor, through a hunter safety course, a national safety course like the National Rifle Association or a law enforcement course.
Kelley said he understands that four to six hours of training will be required. However, Kelley wished that there was a requirement that owners of a concealed carry permit would have to fire the gun as part of the permit process.
"I think you need to be familiar with your firearm and how it fires," Kelley said. "You should have a sense of responsibility for that."
Kelley said the Monroe Police Department has been training officers on how to handle public situations with some residents who may now be carrying a concealed weapon.
Concealed weapon permits will be granted by the state Department of Justice. Citizens who have concealed carry permits in other states would be valid in Wisconsin only if they had an equal number of training requirements, Kelley said.
State lawmakers approved a concealed carry law in 2003 and 2005, but former Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed them.
The Department of Justice is giving a 90-day period to certify concealed carry permits starting Nov. 1. After that, there will be a 45-day period.
"We have been preparing for it," Kelley said. "We probably won't see them (concealed carry weapons) until December."
Gov. Scott Walker approved a concealed weapons bill in July; the law will take effect Tuesday, Nov. 1. Under the measure, concealed weapons will be allowed in most public places, businesses and churches, unless posted signs prohibit weapons in the buildings. Concealed weapons will still be banned from school buildings and grounds, law enforcement offices, prisons, jails, court rooms, secure mental health facilities and areas of airports beyond security checkpoints. The concealed weapons that will be permitted in many public places are hand guns, electric guns (Tasers), knives that are not switch blades and billy clubs.
Because the school district's offices are housed in the same building as the Monroe Public Library, it presents a grey area.
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown said there are some people who don't always see the district office as a school setting because of the library. The Monroe School Board Monday voted to allow Brown to post a sign prohibiting weapons, based on the advice of legal counsel.
"We are waiting on the opinion from our legal counsel," Brown said. "We have to find something that will stand up to the statue. There are a lot of people who will wait for the litigation to fall out."
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said the school district and library will have to post a sign to prevent someone from walking in with a concealed carry weapon.
Kelley said the sign is required to be 5 inches by 7 inches and have a clear notice prohibiting concealed weapons in the building.
In "any new law, there is a period for people to get used to it," Kelley said. "We will probably get people confused about where they can carry. To be quiet honest, there will probably be a flurry of this (concealed carry) in the first year or two. After that, it will probably wane."
Monroe surveyed other school districts in the Badger Conference. Brown said very few school districts at the start of the year felt it was not appropriate to post concealed carry signs on their buildings.
"In the last two weeks, a lot of people have changed their minds," Brown said. "Many schools are relooking at that."
The law will requires citizens with a concealed weapon to get firearms training from an instructor, through a hunter safety course, a national safety course like the National Rifle Association or a law enforcement course.
Kelley said he understands that four to six hours of training will be required. However, Kelley wished that there was a requirement that owners of a concealed carry permit would have to fire the gun as part of the permit process.
"I think you need to be familiar with your firearm and how it fires," Kelley said. "You should have a sense of responsibility for that."
Kelley said the Monroe Police Department has been training officers on how to handle public situations with some residents who may now be carrying a concealed weapon.
Concealed weapon permits will be granted by the state Department of Justice. Citizens who have concealed carry permits in other states would be valid in Wisconsin only if they had an equal number of training requirements, Kelley said.
State lawmakers approved a concealed carry law in 2003 and 2005, but former Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed them.
The Department of Justice is giving a 90-day period to certify concealed carry permits starting Nov. 1. After that, there will be a 45-day period.
"We have been preparing for it," Kelley said. "We probably won't see them (concealed carry weapons) until December."