Records Show Schimel Opened Office Doors to NRA Second Full Day on Job
Today Schimel Endorsed NRA Bill to Flood Streets with Untrained, Unlicensed Concealed Carry Holders
Brad Schimel. Photo from the State of Wisconsin.
MADISON, Wis. — Records obtained by One Wisconsin Now show that on his second full day in office, Attorney General Brad Schimel met privately in his office with the lead lobbyist for the National Rifle Association. Schimel, who was endorsed by the NRA in his 2014 election, today supported a plan backed by the NRA to allow Wisconsin communities to be flooded with untrained, unlicensed carriers of concealed firearms.
“The records show on his second full day on the job, Brad Schimel opened his office doors to privately consult with the NRA,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “It shows Brad Schimel’s priorities are for protecting campaign special interests, not the citizens of Wisconsin.”
According to records obtained by One Wisconsin Now after a lengthy fight with Schimel’s Wisconsin Department of Justice, on his second full day on the job, Wednesday, January 7, 2015, Schimel met privately in his state capitol office with John Commerford, the registered lobbyist for the National Rifle Association.
As state Senators today held a hearing to debate the plan in Senate Bill 169, Schimel released a statement fully endorsing the bill. Schimel said, “Senate Bill 169 represents a reasonable policy decision by the Legislature and it is not inconsistent with case law which has strengthened this right… My commitment to the Second Amendment cannot be overstated.”
“Our top cop’s top commitment should be public safety. But when Brad Schimel takes the side of campaign supporters on a bill that would allow guns on school grounds, it is clear he can’t be trusted to put us first,” concluded Ross.
One Wisconsin Now is a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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““Our top cop’s top commitment should be public safety.”
Untrue. The top cop’s top commitment is to preserve and defend the state and federal Constitutions. Despite claims to the contrary, ‘shall not be infringed” is not properly understood to mean “may be made a felony.”
The constitutions empower governments to choose certain policy options which may be good or bad policies, do not empower them to choose certain others which may be good or bad options, and specifically prohibits still others, which again, may be good options or bad options.
If we want conservatives to abide by rights enshrined in our constitutions, we had better accept that WE have no right to pretend policies we oppose are not protected by the Constitutions. To do otherwise is to legitimate THEIR running over OUR rights. Don’t like the policy options available under the current constitutions? Fine: Amend them. Can’t get the proles to go along with you? Tough beans.
“allow Wisconsin communities to be flooded with untrained, unlicensed carriers of concealed firearms.”
Wisconsin would be what, the fourteenth state to allow concealed carry without a permit? Blood running in the streets of Vermont? Alaska? Idaho? Montana? We already allow “untrained, unlicensed” people to carry openly, and I have yet to see any problems with law abiding people doing so. Carrying concealed is unlikely to change that: Look at the other states with unlicensed concealed carry.
A significant amount of law enforcement officers and some GOP legislators support requiring people to undergo training in order to obtain a concealed carry license. That seems like common sense. Is it really placing an undue burden on people? Why not just get rid of requiring people to get a driver’s license?
“untrained, unlicensed carriers of concealed firearms.”
Note that untrained, unlicensed open carriers of firearms is already legal.
Note also, that if you actually saw someone open carrying you’d likely soil your diaper.
At least if it’s concealed you can continue to live blissfully in ignorance.