Fw: HB 137--guns on school property

["John and Laurie Danahy" <JDANAHY@turbonet.com>]

I received this e-mail from Tom Trail this morning, and I am posting to
vision 2020.  Part of this message was reported in the LMT this morning.

John
John and Laurie Danahy
jdanahy@turbonet.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Trail <ttrail@moscow.com>
To: JDANAHY@turbonet.com <JDANAHY@turbonet.com>
Date: Thursday, March 25, 1999 7:34 AM
Subject: HB 137--guns on school property


>>John--I hope this will be of interest.
>
>Rep. Tom Trail/Dist. 5
>>>
>>>Administrators/Teachers/Staff--House Bill 137 has caused a great deal of
>>>concern with it's passage.
>>>Basically, what started out as a good bill became heavily amended at the
>>>last minute by the Senate
>>>and unfortunately passed the House.   I talked with one of Governor
>>>Kempthorne's staff yesterday
>>>and recommended that the Governor veto the bill.   We can revisit the
bill
>>>again next year and see
>>>if we can keep the positive components of the bill intact.
>>>
>>>I'd like to outline a bit of history of  137.  Currently, under Idaho
>>>laws, adults may carry weapons
>>>on school property regardless of their intent.   The original intent of
>>>137 was to prohibit
>>>both juveniles and adults from carrying weapons on school grounds.
>>>Included in the original
>>>draft of the bill was a section outlawing carrying a firearm, dirk knife,
>>>bowie, knife, dagger,
>>>metal knuckles or other deadly or dangerous weapon on or about his person
>>>while on the
>>>property of a public or private elementary or secondary school or in
those
>>>portions of any
>>>building, stadium or other structure on school grounds which were, at the
>>>time of the violation
>>>being used for an activity sponsored by or through such a school in this
>>>state or while riding
>>>school provided transportation.   The original draft of the bill had
>>>widespread support from the
>>>law enforcement and education community, and the bill quickly passed the
>>>House Education
>>>Committee and the House.
>>>
>>>Rep. Randy Hansen, a freshman from Twin Falls, sponsored the bill.   The
>>>bill was then sent to
>>>the Senate where Sen. Darrington in the Judicial and Rule Committee with
>>>pressure from the NRA
>>>and  hunting groups made a number of amendments.  The two major
amendments
>>>were:
>>>
>>> 1.  The provisions of the bill shall not apply to any student enrolled
in
>>>school who has
>>>       lawful possession of a firearm secured in his vehicle in an
>>>unobtrusive, nonthreating
>>>       manner.   The bill then applied this to adults over 18.   This was
>>>to protect the rights
>>>       of all those before and after school deer hunters.
>>>
>>> 2.  The prohibitions provided by the bill shall not apply to a peace
>>>officer or to security
>>>       personnel hired or contracted by a school district if the security
>>>personnel is involved
>>>       in security work specified int he person's job description with
the
>>>school district or the
>>>       contract with the school district, or to any person licensed
>>>pursuant to section
>>>       18-3302, Idaho Code, to carry a concealed weapon.
>>>
>>>I received a number of calls about letting anyone who has been issued a
>>>permit to carry a concealed
>>>weapon on school grounds.  A number of school teachers especially in
rural
>>>areas said that
>>>"you can't believe the number of looneys who have been issued permits to
>>>carry concealed weapons."   This was a very bad addition to the amended
>>>bill.
>>>
>>>Rep. Hansen said that he received the amendments about four days before
>>>the bill was voted on by
>>>the Senate and the House.   Copies were received (and receipt was
>>>acknowledged by all organizations) by the education community, law
>>>enforcement, and other groups.   Rep. Hansen
>>>reported that he did not receive a single comment either positive or
>>>negative from any group
>>>and assumed that the bill had widespread approval.   Rep. Hansen said he
>>>has been swamped
>>>from all sides with negative comments regarding the bill and has also
>>>communicated with the
>>>Governor and his staff that he would prefer the bill be vetoed.  The
>>>amended bill passed the
>>>Senate with only 2 negative votes and the House with only 3 negative
>>>votes.   Legislators including
>>>myself have to take responsibility for not reading the detail and
>>>implications of the amendments.  We
>>>ran through about 45 bills the last day.
>>>
>>>Let's hope that our good Governor vetoes the bill.   I had no problem
>>>supporting the original
>>>version and with allowing police or security officials to carry concealed
>>>weapons if they have
>>>permits.   But that is the extent of my flexibility.   Any revision of
the
>>>bill should include beebee
>>>and potato guns.
>>>
>>>This is probably more than you wanted to know about HB 137.
>>>
>>>Rep. Tom Trail/Dist 5
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>Dr. Tom Trail
>International Trails
>2039 Mt. View Rd.
>Moscow, Id. 83843
>Tel:  (208) 882-6077
>Fax:  (208) 882-0896
>e mail ttrail@moscow.com
>
>