Gilbert Council OKs new town-building gun policy

The Gilbert Council last week unanimously approved an ordinance that allows gun owners with a concealed-carry permit to carry their weapons into most town buildings.

The action ends more than a year of debate among the council over a new weapons policy, which had to be updated to bring the town into compliance with a state law that requires gun lockers to be provided in public buildings where people are not allowed to carry. Previously guns had been illegal in town buildings.

Guns, even those carried by permit-holders, still cannot be taken into employee-only areas of town buildings, police and fire department facilities, the town prosecutor's office, courts or the Southeast Valley Library.

Councilmen Victor Petersen and Jared Taylor proposed an ordinance in 2013 that would have allowed all gun owners to be armed in town buildings. The idea was shot down by the rest of council, and the issue remained in limbo until they reached a compromise allowing only concealed-carry permit holders to be armed.

When the new policy was brought up last December, Petersen added language barring town employees from asking non-permit holders to disarm. The final version of the ordinance gives that power only to police officers. Police cannot ask permitted gun owners to disarm unless their firearm can't be concealed.

The policy was brought up again on Feb. 19 because the council had asked Gilbert's Town Attorney Michael Hamblin to research the gun policies of neighboring cities. Language was added exempting the Southeast Valley Library from the policy.

Gilbert Mayor John Lewis acknowledged in December that some town employees had concerns about allowing guns in municipal buildings.

Councilman Eddie Cook, who opposed the 2013 ordinance, said he is in favor of allowing permit holders to carry because they are likely to have more experience than other gun owners.

Among the requirements in Arizona to obtain a concealed-carry permit, a person must be an American citizen of at least 21 years old, have no felony convictions or a pending felony indictment and must not have a mental illness. A weapons-training course must also be completed.