Kansas governor vetoes concealed weapons bill, citing potential of problems for law officers

Friday, April 16th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a bill Friday to allow Kansans to carry concealed handguns, saying the measure would have made law enforcement officers' jobs more difficult.

The bill would have required the attorney general's office to issue a concealed-carry permit to any Kansan 21 or older who is a U.S. citizen, pays a $150 application fee, has no mental illness or drug or alcohol addiction and completes eight hours of training.

In her veto message, Sebelius, a Democrat elected in 2002, said if the bill had become law, ``Police officers, highway patrolmen, sheriffs, and deputies in Kansas would be forced to assume that any person they stop could have a firearm.''

``This would make their already dangerous job even more difficult,'' she said.

Legislators could override Sebelius' veto with two-thirds majorities in both chambers, but the bill passed in the House on a 78-45 vote, leaving supporters six votes short of the number needed to override.

Earlier this week, Rep. L. Candy Ruff, a primary sponsor of the measure, said she did not expect an attempt to override a veto.

The legislation would have prohibited concealed handguns in schools, city halls, courthouses and most state office buildings but would have allowed them in the Statehouse, school parking lots and restaurants that serve alcohol.

Supporters of the bill said its passage would permit Kansans, particularly women, to protect themselves.

In her veto message, Sebelius said she supports Kansans' right to own firearms but does not believe a broad concealed carry law would make Kansans safer.

Thirty-seven states have laws that require officials to issue concealed carry permits to qualified applicants and nine others have laws that give officials some discretion over whether someone gets a permit. Only Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin lack a law allowing some form of concealed carrying of guns.

For Kansas, it was the second such veto in recent years. Legislators approved a concealed carry bill in 1997, but then-Gov. Bill Graves, a Republican, vetoed it, saying it would result in more accidental shootings.