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Sedgwick County Commissioners passed a measure allowing people with concealed carry permits to bring their weapons into some county-owned buildings.
Commissioner Richard Ranzau said the law was to help protect the rights of gun owners, "if you can't carry it into a building, then you need to leave it in your vehicle. And there's always a risk when you do that."
Concealed carry licensees will be allowed to bring their weapons into 48 county owned buildings.
The buildings that are exempt from the resolution are:
- Sedgwick Co. Courthouse
- Juvenile Detention Facility
- Adult Detention Facilty
- Work Release
- INTRUST Bank Arena
- Adult Field Services Facility
- Adult Residential Sedgwick Co. Youth Program
- Judge Radells Boy's Ranch
- Juvenile Residential Facilty
- Juvenile Intake & Assessment Center
- Forensic Science Center
- Park Valley Lodge
- Clinical Service facilities
- Centralized Intake & Assessment Facility
- Addiction Treatment Building
- Crisis Intervention Services
- Sedgwick Co. Offender Assessment Program
- Outpatient Services
- Community Support Services
- Center City Homeless Program
- Transitional Housing Program Office
- Juvenie Field Services
- Pre-trial Services
- Comcare Administrative Offices
- Healthy Babies Facilities
The vote was four to one Wednesday. Commissioner Tim Norton was the only one to say no.
He says that several state owned buildings do not allow guns inside.
"Their own offices in our community are posted not to allow guns, that should set a standard for us right now," he said.
"I felt it was necessary to have a specific policy and address each facility and maximize the opportunity for citizens to exercise the right to bear arms," Commissioner Ranzau said earlier.
People are now allowed to bring weapons into places like fire stations, EMS stations, the Extension Education Center, tag offices, the Kansas Pavilions, and the Kansas African American Museum.
"Certainly there are plenty of places that people do their business with respect to the county and I think they should have the right to keep their gun with them instead of having to leave it in their vehicle," adds Ranzau.District Attorney Nola Foulston sent out a letter before the vote saying she feels the resolution is not in the best interest of public safety and should not be passed.