Empower Wisconsin | Oct. 22, 2019
By M.D. Kittle
MADISON — Republican leadership on Monday pushed back against Gov. Tony Evers’ call for a special session on gun-control legislation, asserting the Democrat’s move doubles down on the left’s assault on constitutional rights.
Evers’ executive order requests the session begin on Nov. 7 and that it take up bills on universal background checks and so-called red-flag laws.
GOP leaders saw it all as just another attempt by liberals to trade in tragedy in the pursuit of more gun-ownership restrictions.
“A special session call will not change where my Assembly Republican colleagues and I stand on protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of Wisconsin citizens,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said in a statement. “As I have repeatedly said, we will not entertain proposals that infringe on our constitutional rights.”
“Today’s call is another indication that Governor Evers stands ready to confiscate guns in our state,” Vos added.
Last month, Evers said he would consider government buybacks for assault weapons, a policy idea pushed by former Texas congressman and presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.
Red flag laws allow law enforcement and family members to petition courts to remove weapons from those deemed a threat. Such “threats” would also be banned from buying weapons for a period of time.
Such restrictions have raised red flags among constitution watchers as diverse as the American Civil Liberties Union and the NRA.
“Liberals across the country are upping their rhetoric in support of taking guns from law-abiding citizens,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. The Juneau Republican also is running for congress in the 5th Congressional District.
“After the governor opened the door to a long-term plan of gun confiscation at his press conference last month, it’s easy to see how today’s action could just be the first attack on the Second Amendment. The Senate will not be part of a drawn-out strategy to infringe on constitutional rights,” Fitzgerald said.
Would somebody please challenge these leftists that it is not a buy-back. The implication with this is these were first the province of the government and they have been allowing us to have them to this point. Out of a sense of magnanimity no doubt… This is akin to the hackneyed lament that tax cuts cost the government money. the money I earn is not first the governments and again they let us have some… I’m so tired of this attitude and am waiting for somebody on a national stage to portray this that way.