Arizona House OKs letting guns in public buildings

HB 2320 would overrule existing laws that let governments ban guns from their buildings by posting a sign.

Instead, the only way public agencies could keep guns out is by buying metal detectors for each entrance and hiring guards to monitor them — a cost that one lawmaker pegged at $130,000 per door.

Monday’s vote sets the stage for a final roll-call vote before the measure goes to the Senate.

The Republican-controlled Legislature has approved essentially the same bill three of the last four years, only to see it vetoed by then-Gov. Jan Brewer, because of the taxpayer cost, which she called “an unnecessary diversion of limited resources.”

Her successor, fellow Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, has refused to say what he would do on gun legislation, but has pronounced himself a supporter of the Second Amendment.

In addition to posting signs, governments are currently also required to make lockers available so that people who have guns can check them before going into a public building.

HB 2320 would let anyone who has a state-issued concealed weapons permit to ignore those signs, unless there also were both guards and metal detectors. The most recent figures show 230,000 Arizonans have such permits.

Rep. Mark Cardenas, D-Phoenix, pointed to an analysis of the measure by legislative staff showing the cost to the state alone at anywhere from $10 million to $16.9 million the first year, due to having to obtain new equipment. In subsequent years, the figure would be between $9.4 million and $15.7 million annually.

That figure multiplies if locally run buildings are included.

For example, Maricopa County has 378 buildings that do not have the required security features that currently exist for courthouses and the main county buildings. It said that translates to $9 million in one-time costs plus $47 million a year for staffing.

Peoria estimates an up-front cost of $460,000, plus $1.4 million a year.

“It could bankrupt many of our local governments,” said Rep. Victoria Steele, D-Tucson, who quoted the figure of $130,000 at every entrance.

But Rep. Brenda Barton, R-Payson, said those concerned about costs are missing an obvious point.

“There is no mandate that they have to do this,” she said. “It is not required.”

Instead, governments could let people exercise their “God-given rights” to keep their weapons.

Barton dismissed concerns that it’s dangerous to let gun owners remain armed.

“This legislation’s been in effect for many years in Colorado and they have not had any problems with that,” she said.

The premise behind the legislation is the argument that only law-abiding citizens obey signs telling people to park their weapons.

Proponents say that means those who give up their guns are then unable to defend themselves if someone else who ignored the signs starts shooting.

The only way to ensure no one is armed, backers of the legislation say, is to have an enforceable ban, meaning metal detectors and guards.

Rep. Randall Friese, D-Tucson, worried the legislation would allow people to bring their weapons into public events where alcohol is served.

But Barton said her measure does not affect any building or event where a liquor license has been issued.

That would also keep guns out of things like publicly owned stadiums. College-owned facilities are exempt under a different law.

Brewer, in vetoing the measure last year, said there’s a difference between supporting the right to bear arms and being willing to allow them anywhere.

“I am a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, and I have signed into law numerous pieces of legislation to advance and protect gun rights,” Brewer said. “However, I cannot support this measure in its proposed form.”