MADISON, Wis. — Members of the Wisconsin Gun Safety Coalition gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon alongside community advocates and Attorney General Josh Kaul to push for the “Safe Summer” bill package.
The legislation seeks to curb gun violence across the Badger State.
From universal background checks to red flag laws, Democrats in Madison are once again pushing for more gun safety measures in Wisconsin.
“We must do something in this state, and we must do it right now,” State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, told reporters during Tuesday’s press conference.
The lawmakers behind the four bills said each proposal still respects the rights of responsible gun owners. Those measures include:
- Universal background checks
- A 48-hour waiting period
- Extreme risk protection orders
- A ban on so-called ghost guns
“The reason we keep coming back to this issue is because every year, in fact, every month, there are lives lost to gun violence in this state, and we owe it to their family members, we owe it to those victims, and we owe it to those we can help prevent from harm in the future,” Attorney General Josh Kaul said.
For several lawmakers, that kind of harm has happened too close to home.
The shooter who killed a student and teacher at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison last December was in contact with a man in California who authorities said was planning to attack a government building. He was stopped thanks to an extreme risk protection order that Democrats in Wisconsin want to pass.
“Had the situation been reversed, Wisconsin has no law that would have allowed police to intervene in time to remove guns from the Abundant Life shooter’s home,” State Rep. Deb Andraca, D-Whitefish Bay, explained.
Meanwhile, State Sen. Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, recalled a 2018 shooting in her district in which the shooter took advantage of the “ghost gun loophole” to get his weapon.
“The shooter, who was legally barred from having a weapon, was able to buy parts to build his own gun,” Hesselbein said. “The trauma created by that gun violence on that day lives on.”
The ask from advocates is now on Republican leaders to hold hearings on the bills.
“And to every parent watching, whether you are here in Madison or in Green Bay or Eau Claire or La Crosse or Superior, I hope you feel hopeful because this package is for you,” Lindsey Buscher with the Wisconsin chapter of Moms Demand Action, said. “It’s for your kids. It’s a chance to do something meaningful, something that matters, something that can save lives.”