Wisconsin -(AmmoLand.com)- As many of you know, the school grounds carry bill, SB589, introduced by Senator Mary Lazich last session did not move forward.
I haven’t sent an email update on the bill since the bill died, though updates have been given through out social media Facebook groups. If you aren’t a member of them there is a public “facebook page” that you can “like” for more frequent updates:
There is also a private facebook “group” that you have to request to join. If you request to join, but it isn’t approved right away, send me an email nik@wisconsincarry.org to let me know (I try to screen out spam/bots etc):
Back to school grounds carry. WHY DID THIS BILL DIE. There are 2 answers. The first is that Senator Van Wanggaard of Racine County refused to move the bill forward in his committee.
After SB589 was introduced in the senate, it gets assigned to a committee (Senate Judiciary committee) WHICH VAN WANGGAARD CHAIRS. The committee chair determines the calendar for the committee. A bill needs a public hearing in committee before it can move forward. Van Wannggaard refused to put the bill on the committee calendar. Van Wanggaard killed SB589 “school grounds carry”. That is the first reason.
If you would like to thank Senator Van Wanggaard for killing school grounds carry you can call his office at: (608) 266-1832 or email him at Sen.Wanggaard@legis.wisconsin.
Senator Van Wannggaard’s lack of support for right to carry is exceptionally disappointing, but it represents something gun owners in Wisconsin should all take note of. The second reason SB589 died is because some Republicans who claim to support concealed carry and the 2nd Amendment WHEN THEY CAMPAIGN, but do not support it during the legislative session.
During a contentious republican primary in 2012 for the 21st Senate District. Senator Van Wanggaard touted his “pro concealed carry” and “leading on concealed carry” and “champion of 2nd amendment” beliefs. Unfortunately, once the campaign was over and the legislative sessions begin, Van Wanggaard, like some other republicans are not as pro-gun as they claim.
They think allowing moms and dads the right to carry in their own vehicles when they drop kids off at school is “controversial”. They are afraid of a few campaign commercials that anti-gun folks might run against them. These politicians don’t realize that concealed carry has bi-partisan support. They don’t realize that HALF of the tens of thousands of people who have come through Wisconsin Carry’s FREE concealed carry classes over the past several years are democrats. These politicians are more concerned about how the Wisconsin TV news media would portray the bill than they are about the 300,000 concealed carry license holders who can get an “accidental felony” for dropping their kids off at school armed.
Think about this: Both our state and federal constitutions guarantee our right to keep and bear arms. Our right to carry is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment AND the Wisconsin constitution. That is freedom.
Young men and women go overseas and GIVE THEIR LIFE for freedom in the military serving this country, YET SOME SQUISHY REPUBLICANS IN WISCONSIN WHO CAMPAIGN AS PRO-CONCEALED CARRY aren’t willing to deal with a little biased media coverage that will try to make school grounds carry seem controversial. Military men and women die for freedom, some republicans in Wisconsin won’t even take a vote for freedom that might result in a few biased news media stories.
Governor Walker said “we need to be more concerned about the next generation than the next election”… Well.. clearly when it comes to law-abiding citizens and the 2nd Amendment, SOME republicans in Wisconsin are more concerned about the next election.
The irony is… school grounds carry is not controversial. Federal law ALREADY allows it. No one is going to lose their re-election because they voted to allow school grounds carry just like the federal law already allows.
School grounds carry will be introduced next session. We will continue to demand the freedom and support of the 2nd Amendment from republicans in Madison that they campaigned upon.
Some republican legislators get mad at Wisconsin Carry for calling them out on their lack of support for school grounds carry. Some republican legislators tell me they are pro-gun because they passed a law removing the 48 hour waiting period in Wisconsin. They think that should be enough. They think we should be happy with a few crumbs tossed our way now and then.
As a legislator… its not enough to say you support concealed carry and the 2nd amendment. As a elected representative, if you do not ACT to restore our constitutionally guaranteed right to carry, your actions are what matters.
There are many republicans who DID support school grounds carry. We have a list of the bill co-authors/co-sponsors in our Facebook group. But for the republicans who didn’t support SB589… Instead of getting mad at Wisconsin Carry, the republicans in Madison should really take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves if their actions are reflective of the lip-service they pay to the 2nd Amendment. They deserve the criticism they are getting.
Carry On,
Nik Clark
Chairman/President – Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
nik@wisconsincarry.org
About Wisconsin Carry, Inc.:
Wisconsin Carry, Inc. is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and reclamation of the rights of law-abiding Wisconsin residents to carry in the manner of their choosing. We believe that “open carry” and “concealed carry” are choices to be made by law-abiding citizens based on their situation and preference. Wisconsin Carry, like many gun-rights organizations in Wisconsin, is investing a great deal of resources to get Wisconsin law changed to allow concealed carry this next legislative session by proposing Constitutional Carry. Wisconsin Carry, Inc. will continue to use legal recourse to deter unlawful treatment of law-abiding Wisconsin residents who currently exercise their right to open carry, and soon will exercise their right to concealed carry in Wisconsin.
For more information, visit: www.WisconsinCarry.org.