WI GOP Ignores the 81%

A Marquette University Law School poll this month found 81% of registered voters supported red-flag legislation.

There is a red-flag bill being offered in Madison. It is authored by two Democrats: Senator Lena Taylor of Milwaukee and Rep. Melissa Sargent of Madison. It is modeled after other such legislation that has passed court muster. Essentially at the request of police authorities and various family members, a judge would hear evidence and could rule to remove weapons from a person deemed a threat to himself and/or others.

Of course Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald started running around the Capitol and yelling in their best Chicken Little voices that this violated due process. It seems to me that just like a warrant…if someone petitions the court…and the court rules…we have due process. But of course, the two largest opponents of such a bill are exactly these two GOP leaders.

And only to wind their stem another turn, Governor Tony Evers supports this bill as well as the previously discussed universal background checks…so the required position of the GOP is to flat out oppose common sense bills. And the governor of course called them out on it:

But Evers said he was putting his attention on expanded background checks and red-flag legislation — ideas that polling has shown are overwhelmingly popular with the public.

… my focus is on these two bills and on the two offices that would be able to prevent it from going to hearing and to a vote,” Evers said, referring to the Legislature’s GOP leaders.

In another forum, Rep. Vos and Sen. Fitzgerald suggested they would prefer to focus legislative attention on mental health and suicide prevention. Think about that for a minute. Of course mental health and gun violence have again been raised as the major bugaboo by everyone from the president…to…well…these guys.

But isn’t a red-flag bill exactly what you’d consider if you felt the need to take away a weapon from someone who has mental health issues and might harm themselves or others? And wouldn’t you want to take a gun away from someone who is clearly suicidal? Exactly how would Rep. Vos and Sen. Fitzgerald think they are going to protect these people? Thoughts and Prayers?

Unfortunately, at the governor’s press conference, someone asked him what his thoughts are on Beto O’Rourke’s assault style weapon proposal. And the governor said:

Responding to a question at the news conference, Evers said he was open to a proposal by Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke that would require people to sell their military-style weapons.

Open to Mr. O’Rourke’s proposal…that would be a federal proposal. The governor is not proposing anything of the sort for the State of Wisconsin. But that’s all that Rep. Vos and Sen. Fitzgerald heard (well of course it’s not but that’s what will play with their following):

“With Governor Evers considering confiscating firearms from law-abiding citizens, it shows just how radical Democrats have become,” they said in their statement. 

Well, no, he’s fecking not! Get over yourselves and pass legislation that will help stem the flow of gun violence in Wisconsin and protect innocent lives.

editor’s note: Sen. Fitzgerald has announced his candidacy for the US House of Representatives in 2020.

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