Following a trend to increase guns on school grounds, Wisconsin State Lawmaker Jesse Kremer, a freshman social conservative, is proposing a law to forconcealed carry permit holders to carry licensed guns at private schools. State Senator Mary Lazich has a similar law proposal.

Background:In 2011, Wisconsin’s concealed carry law was expanded to allow people who get permits to carry guns in most public places, but not in schools or on school grounds. There have been more recent attempts to expand carry laws to schools. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, “Kremer also stated Saturday that he believes schools should be permitted to let teachers and other staff keep guns in schools to prevent mass shootings,” predicting on Fox News that laws would soon target public schools.

Implications for Wisconsin Public Schools:While some, like Kremer, attest guns in schools may be of benefit in school shootings, studies and findings (many as cited here in the Boston Review) find that expanding concealed carry does not increase public safety and, indeed, diminishes it.