State Sen. Melissa Agard (D-Madison) and state Rep. Alex Joers (D-Middleton) spoke to students on the current state of gun legislation in Wisconsin Feb. 26. The elected officials spoke on a panel presented by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Society and Politics Committee.
Agard and Joers have drafted several bills that would increase gun safety, including mandatory background checks, 48-hour waiting periods and the prohibition of undetectable firearms. While some proposed legislation has bipartisan support, Agard and Joers have been working to inform more Wisconsin lawmakers on the importance of gun safety.
“Sen. Agard and I are going across the aisle and making sure we’re continuing those civil conversations with our colleagues and making them aware that they can sign on and be supportive of what the majority of Wisconsinites are asking us to do,” Joers said.
Gun violence is the number one cause of death for children in Wisconsin, according to Agard. Agard emphasized this may be preventable through gun safety legislation, and pointed to drafted bills that could prevent this moving forward. These drafted bills include a self-exclusion program and a 48-hour waiting period between purchasing and receiving a firearm.
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The self-exclusion program, if signed into law, would allow people to put themself on a list that would block them from purchasing a firearm. Therefore if someone deems themselves as unable to own a gun, due to mental health or other reasons, they can register for the self-exclusion program, according to Agard.
The 48-hour waiting period would require firearm dealers to wait 48 hours before distributing a gun to a buyer. The purpose of this legislation is to prevent crimes of passion from occurring, Agard said.
Both of these bills will hopefully prevent gun violence and deaths by guns, according to Agard and Joers. But it is important Wisconsin residents engage in civil responsibilities by voting and providing feedback to state legislators, Agard said.
Joers said student input is important for gun safety measures. One bill that would prohibit firearms on college and university campuses was drafted after students in Wisconsin expressed it is a safety measure they need on campuses, Joers said.
Therefore, students at the University of Wisconsin can speak to state senators and representatives about their concerns for gun safety, exercise their right to vote on legislation and encourage others to do the same, Agard said.
“Alex and I know that there’s not an easy button we can push to extinguish gun violence in Wisconsin or across our nation,” Agard said. “It is a comprehensive number of policies, a moral frame and a promise that every citizen needs to make to lean in and speak up for one another.”
