Passage of Senate Bill 408
After many steps back, a step forward on ending gun violence
MILWAUKEE, WI – The following is a reaction by Senator Chris Larson on the passage of Senate Bill 408.
After years of fostering an environment to create the gun violence crisis, the Senate moved one small step forward in addressing it by unanimously passing Senate Bill 408 (SB 408). This legislation makes it a crime to purchase a gun with the intent to give the weapon to a person legally prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
Given the desperate need to change the deadly culture of gun violence, knowingly supplying a firearm to someone who legally can’t own one should already be law. This reform and many other life saving measures have been blocked for years by Republican legislators at the bidding of groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Perhaps the most widely supported gun violence prevention proposal is universal background checks, Senate Bill 34 (SB 34) seeks to do just that. In Wisconsin, federally licensed dealers are required to conduct background checks on all firearm sales, but private sellers are not. It is important to note that 8 out of 10 Wisconsin residents, including gun owners, support a law requiring background checks for all handgun purchases. To this date, Senate Bill 34 has not been scheduled to receive a public hearing.
As gun violence continues to threaten the safety of our streets, our workplaces, and our schools, the Republicans currently in control of our federal and state governments continue to ignore their most fundamental duty: protecting our communities.
We have much more work to do.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Gun Violence
- Senator Agard Introduces Firearm Safety Bills with Legislative Democratic Colleagues - State Sen. Melissa Agard, Senate Democratic Leader - Oct 26th, 2023
- AG Kaul to U.S. Attorney General Garland: Firearm Regulations Must Include Ghost Guns - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Aug 20th, 2021
- Op Ed: Legal Firearms Used in Many Mass Shootings - O. Ricardo Pimentel - May 26th, 2021
- Bipartisan legislation a positive step forward for gun reform - Mayor Cavalier Johnson - May 17th, 2021
- Bipartisan Bill Bans Guns For Those Convicted of Domestic Violence - Erik Gunn - May 14th, 2021
- Club Midtown isn’t a thing - Mayor Cavalier Johnson - May 5th, 2021
- County Executive David Crowley Statement on Recent Acts of Gun Violence - County Executive David Crowley - May 4th, 2021
- Republicans Continue to Show their True Colors with Upcoming Budget Plans: The Time for Action is Now - State Sen. Melissa Agard, Senate Democratic Leader - May 3rd, 2021
- Continued gun violence underscores the need for change - Mayor Cavalier Johnson - May 3rd, 2021
- Senator Agard: Statement on Shooting Tragedy at the Oneida Casino Complex - State Sen. Melissa Agard, Senate Democratic Leader - May 2nd, 2021
Read more about Gun Violence here
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