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Gov. Scott Walker signs concealed weapons bill into law

Jeff Winkler Contributor
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On Friday, Wisconsin became the 49th state to allow its citizens to carry concealed firearms after Gov. Scott Walker signed into law a measure allowing the practice after a decades long debate.

The law goes into effect on Nov. 1 and carries some caveats, including mandatory firearm training and a background check.

State Sen. Pam Galloway, who spearheaded the measure, said the passage is a “victory for individual rights,” according to the Journal Sentinel. “”Concealed carry is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it’s about personal safety and providing our citizens an opportunity to protect themselves and their loved ones from harm.”

Not everyone is as thrilled about the new law.

“We think Gov. Walker and the Wisconsin legislature just made the citizens of Wisconsin far less safe,” Dennis Henigan, Vice President at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, told The Daily Caller. The Brady Center is one of the country’s leading gun-control advocacy groups. “Other states that have made this mistake have found themselves legally arming very dangerous people.

Henigan said the Brady Center would “continue to educate the American people about the public safety impact of these laws.”

Illinois is now the only state where concealed carry is illegal. (Ohioans fighting to kill Obamacare with state constitution)

Of the 49 states that do allow some form of concealed carry, nine issue those licenses at the discretion of local officials. The Illinois State Rifle Association has recently pushed for concealed carry legislation in the last remaining where it is completely illegal. But gun rights advocates still have some ways to go.

State lawmakers rejected a measure early this year and Gov. Pat Quinn hasn’t shown much love for looser gun laws. The Second Amendment Foundation did however file a lawsuit against the statewide ban on carrying weapons in public in May.

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