Lawmakers in the Kansas House have twice rejected efforts to hold a debate on the issue of concealed weapons in public buildings, but the issue could keep popping up.
This summer, college campuses and public health facilities will be required to allow guns or install more security to keep weapons out. The top Democrat in the Kansas House, Jim Ward, says they should debate amending the concealed carry law to exempt some facilities from the requirements.
“I think there are a lot of Kansans who want that debate, want to see where their representative stands on this significant gun safety issue,” Ward says.
Republican House Speaker Pro Tem Scott Schwab says House members have blocked Ward from forcing a debate because there are closed-door negotiations on the issue. They’re holding off for a plan that all sides and the governor can agree to.
“They want a compromise," Schwab says. "They don’t want a nine-hour gun debate where everybody just starts bringing every wacky amendment."
Ward and some other lawmakers are concerned that a compromise might be too limited, which is why there could be a continued push for an open debate on the issue.
