As lawmakers return to Madison for the start of Wisconsin’s legislative session today, they will have new opportunities to pass common-sense gun safety bills. A top priority for lawmakers should be doing more to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.
There are currently gaps in Wisconsin law that give domestic abusers easy access to guns, and at least 46 women were fatally shot by an intimate partner in Wisconsin between 2013 and 2017. Wisconsin lawmakers should follow the lead of the more than two dozen states that have taken action in recent years to prevent gun violence by passing SB 517 and AB 577 – bills that have support from both sides of the aisle and would help keep guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers and other people with dangerous histories.
Despite strong support for gun safety laws, and persistent advocacy by Wisconsin Moms Demand Action Volunteers, in November the leaders of both the Wisconsin Assembly and the Wisconsin Senate ended special sessions on gun violence shortly after gaveling them in.
This year, it’s time for lawmakers to prioritize the safety of Wisconsin women and families from deadly domestic violence by addressing this gap in state law.
Statistics about gun violence in Wisconsin are available here, and information on how Wisconsin gun laws compare to other states’ overall is available here.
If you have questions, or to request an interview with a volunteer from Wisconsin Moms Demand Action, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
