Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is demanding lawmakers return to Madison for a special session on gun control legislation, specifically pushing for passage of a “red flag” law and so-called universal background checks.
“Since taking office in January, I have called on the Legislature to take action and pass commonsense gun safety reform time and time again, giving Republican leadership the opportunity to hear the people of our state and to do the right thing,” Evers said in a statement. “Today I am delivering on my promise to call a special session to address gun violence across our state and I’m calling on Republicans to work with Democrats to get this done.”
Republicans control both the state Assembly and Senate in Wisconsin, and so far it sounds like legislative leaders aren’t on board with the governor’s demands.
Wisconsin’s Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he sees the governor’s call for a special session on gun control measures “the first attack on the Second Amendment.”
Fitzgerald reacted Monday to Evers calling a special session for next month. He wants the Legislature to take votes on a universal background check bill and a “red flag” measure allowing judges to take guns away from people deemed to be a threat.
Fitzgerald says the Senate “will not be part of a drawn-out strategy to infringe on constitutional rights.”
Fitzgerald also voiced his objections to “red flag” laws earlier this year, stating that Wisconsin’s existing civil commitment laws already allow for individuals to be temporarily separated from their firearms if they are a danger to themselves or others.
Much like Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s special session on gun control, this push by Evers in Wisconsin is an exercise in political theater more than an attempt at improving public safety. Republicans could adjourn the special session moments after it officially kicks off, and there’s nothing the governor can do about it other than hold a press conference and blame Republicans for being in the pocket of the “gun lobby”. Will Republicans in Wisconsin follow the lead of Virginia lawmakers in shutting down the special session before holding any votes, or will they introduce bills of their own to counter the governor’s anti-gun push?
Also on today’s program, we have the story of a 14-time offender in Detroit who’s now facing murder charges, an armed robber who brought a toy pistol to a gun fight, and a Georgia police officer who’s going above and beyond to help a neighbor in need of a new liver. In fact, if you’d like to help in that cause, you can learn more here.
You can find the show as a podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Townhall.com’s podcast page. On tomorrow’s program, we’ll talk with Second Amendment activist (and Wisconsin resident) Aaargo Jay as well as National Review‘s Robert Verbruggen about the ATF enforcing a gun reg that doesn’t exist.
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