SHARE State Sen. Mary Lazich, (R-New Berlin).

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Madison — Those with concealed weapons permits could carry guns on school grounds — and in some cases in school buildings — under a bill a Republican leader hopes to get through the Legislature in the next two months.

Senate President Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) said the measure is intended to make sure weapons permit holders aren't inadvertently committing crimes when they drop their kids off at school.

"I don't want to see that happen to well-intentioned law-abiding people," she said.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said the proposal would make the state more dangerous.

"This is insane," Barrett said. "Isn't there anybody in the majority party that wants to get serious about gun violence?"

Lazich and Rep. Robert Brooks (R-Saukville) unveiled their bill Wednesday and hope to hold a Senate committee hearing this month. They said they were advancing the idea after hearing from school officials on the issue.

"When they drop off their kids, pick up their kids, I don't think they realize they're breaking the law," Brooks said of permit holders.

Gov. Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature adopted the state's concealed weapons law in 2011. It allows people who get permits to carry guns in most places, but not in schools or on school grounds.

The bill by Lazich and Brooks would allow permit holders to carry guns on school grounds. Local school boards would be able to decide if anyone could carry weapons inside school buildings where instruction is provided. If they barred weapons from those buildings, they would have to post signs at each entrance noting guns weren't allowed.

Brooks said he was offering the bill because he would feel terrible if there were a school shooting and parents and teachers told him afterward they didn't have a chance to defend themselves because of state law. Local officials should get to decide whether teachers or others can carry guns in schools, he said.

"I think we need to empower our local officials to work with local law enforcement to set their policies," he said.

He downplayed the concerns of critics, saying the state's concealed weapons law has been effective. The bill would allow those with concealed weapons permits to carry guns on school grounds — but not others.

"We're not opening it to the Wild West, if you will," he said.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn took issue with that sentiment in a written statement.

"Given the fact that law enforcement agencies are explicitly prohibited under our current (concealed weapons) law from analyzing their own data to determine the impact — both positive and negative — of the 2011 law, I am curious to see what information Representative Brooks has collected and used to determine that the law has been, as he says, effective," Flynn's statement said.

Not all Republicans are on board with the idea.

"I'm not sure we need that," said Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon), chairman of the Senate Education Committee. "I haven't heard any of my constituents ask me to have that."

Barrett and other Democrats called the move dangerous.

"It's not OK for everyone to have guns in an environment where children and families are at," said Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee).

Jeri Bonavia, executive director of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, said she considered the measure an attempt to appease the gun lobby. She said she was concerned about those with permits carrying guns in schools and then getting enraged, and alluded to Rep. Bob Gannon (R-Slinger) — a gun rights advocate — flipping off a Democratic leader on the Assembly floor on Tuesday.

"We have lawmakers with permits who can't control their middle fingers," Bonavia said.

Lazich and Brooks said they wrote the legislation after hearing from school districts in their areas backing the idea.

Tom David, vice president of the New Berlin School Board, said he brought the idea up with Lazich

"It shouldn't be a felony to drop your kids off if you are one of the 300,000 permit holders of the state," he said.

He said he believed there was broad support for the legislation on his school board, but did not know that anyone wanted to see teachers armed.

"I don't know if that's on the horizon for anyone," he said.

Lowell Holtz, superintendent of the Whitnall School District, said he backs the measure but does not believe local officials will opt to allow guns in their schools.

"It's not going to open the door to having guns in the school building," he said. "I can't imagine that happening."

Other school districts and state school officials voiced opposition.

"We're opposed to any legislation that puts police officers and kids and parents and educators in a tough situation that they don't want," said John Johnson, spokesman for the state Department of Public Instruction.

"From everything we see and hear across the nation, (schools) look to their first responders for their safety and security," he said. "To have other people armed in a school who may or may not be a good actor jeopardizes that rigorously thought out plan and the lives of innocent bystanders, police officers and kids — and maybe someone with a concealed carry permit."

"I struggle with the fact we need a law to protect someone that forgets they had their gun with them while taking their children to school," said Phil Ertl, superintendent of the Wauwatosa School District.

Peter Pochowski, executive director of Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association, declined to comment on the bill until he could read it. But he questioned whether introducing guns into schools is a good idea.

"There are other things they should be doing first — like locking their doors," Pochowski said of the assertion by some that guns would make schools safer. "There are lots of schools around the state that don't lock their doors. Before we start arming people, I think the state should mandate that schools lock their doors."

Rep. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) is backing the bill. If some teachers were allowed to carry guns, they could fight back if their classrooms were attacked, he said.

"Right now, it's a soft target — no one's carrying," he said of schools.

Kremer promoted a "campus carry" bill in the fall that would have allowed students and faculty to carry guns in university and college buildings. Leaders said they would not advance that measure, but Kremer said he hoped the one for K-12 schools would get traction.

Time is running out for backers of the measure. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) has said he wants to wrap up the session in February. Both houses are expected to be completed with their work for the year by March.

As Senate president, Lazich gets to choose which committee will get the bill. That means she can make sure it gets a prompt hearing, which is needed before the bill can get a floor vote.

In the Assembly, Vos will decide what to do with the bill. Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) said he would promptly hold a hearing on the bill if it were assigned to the Assembly Criminal Justice Committee he chairs.

Patrick Marley reported for this story in Madison and Annysa Johnson in Milwaukee. Mary Spicuzza in Milwaukee contributed to this report.