Arizona Governor vetoes bill to allow guns into government buildings

Arizona Governor vetoes bill to allow guns into government buildings Governor Brewer vetoed a controversial bill on Tuesday. If the bill is passed, it will allow people to...

Arizona governor vetoes bill to allow guns into government buildings Governor Brewer vetoed a controversial bill on Tuesday. If passed, the bill would allow people to carry guns into state government buildings that were previously off-limits. For the second year in a row, Brewer vetoed the bill, which was backed by gun rights advocates. Gun rights advocates demand the right for people to carry guns into public buildings. Under current state law, state authorities can ban people from carrying guns into public buildings such as libraries, senior centers and city halls. There are also signs at the entrances to these public buildings prohibiting firearms. Brewer said more comprehensive and collaborative discussions are needed before the bill can be signed into law. In her resolution vetoing the bill, Brewer said decisions to allow or ban firearms in these extremely sensitive places should be made collaboratively and with support from a broad range of stakeholders. "We hope she will be more respectful of the keep and bear arms provisions of the Arizona Constitution," said Heller, co-founder of the Arizona Citizens Defense League. Opponents of the bill called the veto a "common sense approach" to carrying guns in public. In her veto decision, Brewer also said she was concerned the government would be forced to shoulder the financial costs of security measures to limit guns from being brought into public buildings. Nine states across the United States have completed similar legislation to allow gun carriers to enter government buildings.