CHAPMAN

WHEELING — A bill before the West Virginia Senate would allow state lawmakers and their staff members who possess concealed carry permits to legally bring them into the State Capitol if they register with the Capitol Police.

Senate Bill 492 is sponsored by freshman Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman, R-Ohio. Including Chapman, it so far has 17 sponsors in the 34-member Senate, where Republicans outnumber Democrats 31-3. No Democrats have signed on to the legislation.

The impetus behind the bill, Chapman said, is to allow lawmakers and staff the opportunity to protect themselves when returning to their vehicles when leaving the Capitol after dark.

Language in the bill states all legislators and staff who are current holders of a concealed carry permit in this state shall register with the Capitol Police and provide the Capitol Police with a signed letter of intent to carry concealed firearms inside the Capitol building. Once the signed letter of intent to carry is filed, the legislator or staff member may carry a concealed firearm within the Capitol buildings.

This would include the House and Senate chambers. Weapons still would be banned in restricted areas such as the West Virginia Supreme Court chambers, Chapman explained.

She said state lawmakers already have passed legislation establishing “constitutional carry” in West Virginia. Under this law, people who are lawfully able to carry a handgun are permitted to carry a handgun concealed without a permit, she said.

But weapons are presently banned throughout the State Capitol Complex. Existing law goes so far as to ban pepper spray cans exceeding one ounce in size from entering the buildings on the property.

Any person, however, may lawfully keep a legal firearm in their vehicle parked on State Capitol grounds if the vehicle is locked and the weapon is out of normal view, according to state law.

“I’m pro-2nd Amendment,” Chapman said. “Our legislators and staff have to park sometimes outside Capitol grounds. They arrive early, and leave late when it’s dark outside.

“This legislation would provide them the opportunity to carry a gun if wish to do so lawfully.”

She acknowledged there really hasn’t been any safety concerns raised by lawmakers and staff.

“It is just me who thinks it is a good idea to have this for safety purposes,” she said. “I’m here by 7:30 a.m each day, and I stay until as late as 7 or 9 p.m. each night when it’s dark. Others do that, too, and this would be a way to protect yourself.”

She said she included in the legislation the provision that concealed carry permit owners register with the Capitol Police “just so they are aware of who has a permit.”

“The concealed carry permit also proves who has had screening,” Chapman continued.

The measure doesn’t apply to allow the public at large to carry weapons as there is already such a bill proposed in the House of Delegates, according to Chapman.

SB 492, introduced last week, is presently before the Senate Judiciary Committee.