A gun rights group has prevailed in its legal battle against the City of Madison and predicts the decision will have statewide implications, although in Milwaukee, the transit system reports always having honored the state's concealed carry law.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Madison's transit system must allow people with concealed carry licenses to bring guns aboard public buses. According to the court majority, transit policies cannot supersede the state's concealed carry law which Governor Walker signed in 2011.
The test case arose in 2014, when Madison's transit system prohibited a passenger with a concealed carry permit from bringing a gun on a bus. The group Wisconsin Carry took the matter to court, on the passenger's behalf. President Nik Clark says he expects Tuesday's decision to affect other transit systems in Wisconsin.
Two justices dissented from the majority - Shirley Abrahamson and Ann Walsh Bradley. The two contend that Wisconsin's 1924 Home Rule Amendment gives local government the authority to enact policies that state legislation cannot override.
In issuing its decision Tuesday, the high court overturned an appeals court ruling.
The Milwaukee County Transit System says that since Wisconsin enacted its concealed carry law, the system has allowed people with conceal permits to carry guns aboard buses. MCTS adds that its buses are very safe. According to a statement, "The most recent County audit found that you have a 99.76% chance of riding the bus without an incident."