PHOENIX, April 18 (UPI) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a second effort to pass legislation allowing people to carry guns in public buildings, saying the proposal needs wider support.
The bill, backed by Republican state Sen. Ron Gould, would allow guns in city halls, police stations, county courts, senior centers, swimming pools, libraries and the state Capitol unless armed security guards secured the property, The Arizona Republic reported Tuesday.
Brewer, a supporter of gun-rights legislation, said the proposal needs wider support from police, cities and the public before she would sign it.
"The decisions to permit or prohibit guns in these extremely sensitive locations -- whether a city council chamber or branch office staffed with state workers -- should be cooperatively reached and supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders, including citizens, law-enforcement officials and local government leaders," Brewer wrote in a veto letter.
Brewer said she was concerned about the cost of outfitting public buildings with armed security guards in lieu of allowing guns on the property. A study estimated the cost of such security would range from $5,000 to $113,800 per public entrance with ongoing costs of $54,400 to $108,000 each year, the newspaper said.
