Two days after the controversial bill which would remove the 48-hour waiting period for firearms passed the Wisconsin Senate, Democratic lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill that would extend background checks for portable guns.

Sen. Nikiya Harris Dodd, D-Milwaukee, and Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, released a statement outlining the bill which would require both federally-licensed dealers and private dealers to conduct criminal background checks before selling firearms to a customer.

Berceau said the law on the books right now is problematic because while it regulates law-abiding citizens who purchase from licensed dealers, it does little to prevent criminals from purchasing firearms.  The universal criminal background check bill would change this by requiring all dealers to conduct background checks.

“There should be the same set of rules, criminals are going to try and get one on the black market or from a private seller, so why not try and keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” Berceau said.

Berceau said the bill was not a direct response to the Senate passing the bill that removes the 48-hour waiting period for purchasing firearms. A similar bill to the one announced Thursday had been brought up in the last session and she and Harris Dodd had planned to bring it up sometime this spring. Berceau said after the Senate’s decision Tuesday, now was the appropriate time to announce it.

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Berceau said the purpose of the 48-hour waiting period is to give the gun purchaser a “cooling off period” to decrease the threat of anger-induced gun violence.

“Don’t make it so easy for a person to get a gun when they are angry,” Berceau said.

According to Berceau, technological advancements making background checks faster than in 1976 is not a legitimate argument for the passage of the repeal bill.

Bruce Cook, president of the Central Wisconsin Gun Collectors Association, disagreed on the effectiveness of the two-day waiting period. He said it is time-consuming for people who already are abiding by the law and fails to prevent criminals from attaining firearms.

“I think they just take up more time, criminals are never going to go through them … they aren’t looking for the high quality stuff, they are just looking for something that goes bang,” Cook said.

Cook added that he is in favor of enforcing existing laws, but restrictions like the 48-hour waiting period make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to follow the law while not impacting criminal activity.

Berceau said in the three-and-a-half months the Legislature has been in session, Republicans have introduced six bills to make it easier for people to get guns and have not addressed the issue of gun violence that is harming innocent people.

Berceau said she doubts the Senate will take up the bill despite having 80 percent public support, but said she remains optimistic the public will ultimately force the Legislature to address the problem.