Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed two bills Tuesday that would have allowed concealed-carry permit holders to take their guns into government buildings, according to USA Today.
House Bill 2339 would have allowed people with concealed-carry permits to bring weapons into government buildings unless security measures including armed guards, metal detectors and gun lockers, are in place and excluded public K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, USA Today reported.
Brewer, a Republican who has been supportive of other gun bills including last weeks House Bill 2483, which bans cities, counties and towns from restricting the shooting of guns on private property as long as the nearest occupied structure is more than a quarter-mile away, stated in her veto letter that the new bill still didn't meet concerns she had with similar legislation in the 2011 and 2012 sessions, according to USA Today.
"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. However, I cannot support this measure in its proposed form," Brewer wrote, USA Today reported.
Representative Brenda Barton said she was disappointed and surprised because she believes she addressed many of the issues that the governor had with a similar bill during a prior legislative session, according to USA Today.
Brewer vetoed another Republican-sponsored gun bill that would have imposed fines on cities, towns and their lawmakers if they enforce gun ordinances that are more strict than the state's laws on Tuesday, USA Today reported.
House Bill 2517 was sponsored by Rep. Steve Smith of Maricopa, but Brewer wrote in her veto letter that a citizen or organization can already take legal action if they believe a local ordinance is illegal, according to USA Today.
"Furthermore, I am troubled by the vague and punitive provision that a person in violation of the statute is 'subject to termination from employment,' " Brewer wrote, USA Today reported.
