Topeka ? Citing some of the same safety concerns as city of Lawrence officials, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Friday vetoed a bill aimed at preventing cities and counties from restricting where legal gun holders could carry their concealed weapons.

Sebelius said House Bill 2528 “actually sets up greater inconsistencies and creates new threats to the public.”

For example, Sebelius said, “concealed weapons currently may be banned at professional and school sporting events. However, this bill would prevent communities from banning them at similar such events at city or county sports fields.

“If it is in the interest of public safety to not have weapons at school-sponsored sporting events, it makes little sense to then prohibit local officials from banning guns at other sporting events, as this bill would propose.”

Veto override

The action by Sebelius sets up another confrontation with lawmakers over gun issues.

Last year, lawmakers enacted the concealed carry law over her veto. This year’s bill would put the state in charge of how the law is applied.

After concealed carry became law, several cities sought to ban concealed guns in some locations, such as public parks and city buildings.

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department wanted to prohibit concealed carry on some of their properties, such as outdoor youth sporting venues.

Ernie Shaw, interim director of the department, had said earlier that sometimes sporting events produce heated exchanges. “Even people who are very trustworthy and who have gone through the certification process could still lose their temper,” he said.

But sponsors of the recent bill vowed Friday to try to override Sebelius’ veto when the Legislature returns for a wrap-up session April 25.

“We are certainly going to try,” state Rep. Candy Ruff said.

State Sen. Phil Journey, R-Haysville, said the legislation is needed so the law that allows concealed carry of guns is followed uniformly across the state.

If not passed, Journey said he feared law-abiding citizens could get in trouble. “Cities set traps for permit-holders,” he said.

A veto override would take 84 votes in the 125-member House and 27 votes in the 40-member Senate. The measure passed in the House with 106 votes and the Senate with 29 votes. But some who voted for the bill may refuse to vote to override a veto.

Compromise sought

In her veto message, Sebelius said she supported compromise language that had been proposed that would have given local officials some flexibility in restricting concealed carry. That language, however, was taken out of the final version of the bill.

“If the Legislature decides to take further action on this issue, I would strongly encourage them to pass the compromise language,” she said.

But Ruff said the compromise was confusing and failed to gain support in the Senate.

Journey said he thought Sebelius’ veto seemed like “sour grapes” from last year when she was overridden on concealed carry.

“It’s an excuse for a much broader philosophy in opposition to the right of self-defense,” he said.

But Sebelius said that wasn’t true.

“I myself am one of thousands of Kansans who enjoys hunting, and I believe all law-abiding Kansans have the right to own a weapon for their protection and the protection of their families,” she said.

After she vetoed the bill, Sebelius was traveling to El Dorado for today’s 21st annual Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt.