Dem-Backed Wisconsin Bill Seeks To Impose New Regulations On Gun Stores

Democrats in Wisconsin are looking to use a different tactic in their war on guns and gun rights. While the Second Amendment is the law of the land, and the Supreme Court has ruled that it extends to state and local governments, that simply restricts how the government can interfere with an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. With varying degrees of interference, of course.

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Wisconsin Democrats are instead looking to target gun stores instead.

The proposal, LRB-3860, requires firearms retailers to lock all guns in a secured safe or steel gun cabinet or on a secured rod or cable when the when the business is closed or unattended. The sponsor said it comes as a response to a series of high-profile gun store burglaries in the state.

“I was shocked by the ease with which these criminals were able to steal multiple unsecured firearms. As a result, these guns are now out on the streets posing a danger to the community,” said state Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, in a statement. “The legislation I am introducing today will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on dangerous weapons by ensuring they are stored safely and securely after hours where they are sold.”

According to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 7,488 firearms were reported stolen from federally licensed dealers last year but only 44 of those were in taken during burglaries in Wisconsin. The state saw 31 guns stolen in 2015.

On the surface, this looks to be more about preventing thefts than anything else. In fact, that may be what some of those who support the proposal are thinking it’s all about.

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However, it may also represent a new tactic in the anti-gun arsenal.

The Second Amendment is clear, and while the Supreme Court has claimed that some limits on the kinds of guns that can be owned by civilians, that’s something many anti-gun zealots are probably not eager to challenge. Not with the Court’s current make-up, at least.

However, the Second Amendment doesn’t explicitly preclude attempts to regulate the sale of guns.

Wisconsin’s bill may ostensibly be about preventing theft, it may also serve as a trial balloon. Democrats may be floating this bill to see if gun rights activists will martial their forces to fight it. Especially since the easy counter is how no one wants guns to be stolen.

On the surface, this bill seems fairly innocuous. While it calls for securing guns after hours, it doesn’t require all firearms to be moved to the vault or other excessively burdensome acts. The fact that a lock and cable system is allowed–something far easier to do yet still somewhat secure–makes it a bit harder to oppose and not look like you’re in favor of making things easier for crooks.

But I don’t think it’s about that. Not in the long game, anyway.

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See, Americans are comfortable with regulations impacting private businesses. For better or worse, this is considered normal. The gun grabbers may well be planning on increasing regulations on gun dealers to the point that it becomes prohibitively expensive to sell them. Either that or prices on the guns themselves will increase until their out of the price range of the average shooter.

Either way, they have managed to keep guns out of the hands of the rabble like you and me.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but since anti-gun crusaders have turned any and all tragedies into an excuse to restrict our rights, I think it’s understandable.

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