GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ – WLUK) – Change might be coming when it comes to whether you can carry a gun in city buildings.
Right now, there is no ordinance or policy prohibiting people from openly carrying a gun in Green Bay city buildings, like city hall.
The city’s protection and welfare committee decided Monday evening it wants to hear from more people before deciding whether to recommend any change.
Alderperson Barbara Dorff asked for a study on what kind of policies similar-sized cities have in Wisconsin.
Dorff tells WLUK constituents told her they feel uncomfortable with people carrying weapons at city meetings.
“So I wanted to find out what do the other municipalities of our size, about our size, do in the state of Wisconsin” According to Green Bay’s legal team, out of the state’s ten largest cities, only Green Bay and Waukesha allow people to bring weapons into city buildings.
But employees are not allowed to carry a gun in city buildings.
“It is intimidating when more than a trained professional in an active scenario is holding a gun, especially in a place where the conversation gets very heated, very emotional,” said Joshua Schwalbe of Green Bay.
Henry Rahr, a firearms instructor from Ashwaubenon. doesn’t see it that way.
“A weapon is an inanimate object. It doesn’t reproduce, it doesn’t breathe, it doesn’t think. It’s the heart and soul, here, that makes that difference.”
Dorf says the protection and welfare committee plans to hold a more official public hearing on the issue at its next meeting in two weeks.
“I know we are in the great minority that most of the cities do have ordinances that prohibit weapons in their city buildings, but I don’t know why they do, so that’s an important piece our legal department is going to do look into for me”
Captain John Laux of the Green Bay Police Department says the department does not take an official position on this topic.
But, Laux says the department will enforce whatever decision the council makes.
