Kansas House Overides Gun Law Veto
http://www.kctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4672648
It finally happened.
LATE-BREAKING NEWS: House Overrides Gun Veto; Concealed Carry To Become Law
March 23, 2006, 10:56 AM CST
By CARL MANNING
Associated Press Writer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansans will be able to carry concealed guns after the House on Thursday overrode Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' veto of a gun bill, allowing it to become law this summer.
The vote was 91-33, giving supporters of the measure seven votes more than the two-thirds majority necessary. The Senate voted Wednesday night to override the veto, 30-10, with three votes more than needed.
The new law, taking effect July 1, will permit U.S. citizens 21 and older living in Kansas to obtain a four-year concealed-carry permit from their local sheriffs. Hidden weapons still will be banned in some places, including schools, churches, libraries and courthouses.
Legislators' action capped a decade-long debate, which saw Kansas remain part of an ever-dwindling group of states that didn't allow residents to carry hidden weapons. Only Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin are still on the list.
Kansas will become one of 37 states where permits must be issued to people who qualify. An additional eight states permit law enforcement agencies to reject permits even if someone has met all legal requirements, while Alaska and Vermont have no prohibitions for carry concealed guns.
Sebelius became the first Kansas governor to have a veto overridden in 12 years. She vetoed a similar bill in 2004, as her predecessor, Republican Bill Graves, did in 1997.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.