A legislative committee has signed off on a rule which allows concealed carry permit holders from other states to carry concealed in Wisconsin, even though those states may have looser training requirements. Brian O’Keefe with the state Department of Justice told lawmakers on Tuesday that the agency has been able to keep up with demand for concealed carry permits. “We’re meeting all our statutory requirements,” O’Keefe told members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. “Right now, on average, it’s probably about ten days we can turn them (permit requests) around.” About 100,000 applications have been received.
The JCAR approved an emergency rule allowing people issued permits in other states to carry concealed here, over the objections of Democrats on the panel. “To let people under reciprocity come in with a lesser degree of training and review than is required of our own citizens I think is absolutely wrong,” said state Senator Fred Risser.
“There is no requirement in the statute for other states training to be a factor in our recognition of our state, so we do not include that in our assessment of whether we recognize or not,” O’Keefe explained.
