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Representative Richards Wants Universal Background Checks In Wisconsin

Law abider

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Ellsworth Wisconsin
Enclosed is an E mail from Rep Richards who will be introducing a bill on universal background checks:
I am not sure if this is for a gun registry or he wants to genuinely close all 'loopholes.'

March 21, 2013

Rep. Richards to Propose Universal Background Checks

Dear Neighbor –

I was proud today to stand beside Mayor Tom Barrett, Police Chief Ed Flynn, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney, numerous colleagues and Elvin Daniel, Zina Daniel’s brother, to announce my intention to introduce legislation implementing universal background checks for all firearms transactions in Wisconsin.

Five months ago today, there was a deadly shooting in our community. On October 21, Zina’s estranged husband ignored a judge’s order, violated his domestic violence restraining order and purchased a firearm with the sole purpose of harming Zina. Sadly, he was successful, killing Zina and three other people and wounding four others.

We have laws on our books that prohibit felons, violent criminals, domestic abusers or individuals with mental illness from legally possessing firearms. To prevent dangerous people from getting weapons, we must close the background check loophole and require background checks for all firearms purchases, not just purchases through reputable businesses.

Over 80 percent of Wisconsinites favor universal background checks for firearm purchases, according to a new Marquette Law School Poll released this week. Buying a firearm is inexpensive, quick and easy. Universal background checks won’t prevent law-abiding citizens from purchasing guns, but will however significantly limit criminal access to firearms.

Soon I will be introducing legislation to require universal background checks for all firearms purchases. I believe that Second Amendment advocates and public safety advocates can find common ground in support of universal background checks. Let’s examine our laws and make the changes needed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

Sincerely,

JON RICHARDS
State Representative
Assembly District 19
 

MKEgal

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Richards said:
announce my intention to introduce legislation implementing universal [strike]background checks[/strike] registration for all firearms transactions in Wisconsin done by law-abiding people.
I think he meant to say something like that.
Or is he really stupid enough to think that criminals will go to a dealer & do BG checks on each other?
(Or is he proposing a system that any citizen can use, for free, simply by calling a phone number like dealers do?)

Zina’s estranged husband ignored a judge’s order, violated his domestic violence restraining order and purchased a firearm
...
We have laws on our books thatpurport to prohibit felons, violent criminals, domestic abusers or individuals with mental illness* from legally possessing firearms.
So he broke several laws (possessing a firearm while under a restraining order, murder, probably the transport statute & the "GF"SZ), but Mr Richards thinks that having one more law would have stopped him?
He really is that stupid.

* This is a common mistake. No illness is a disqualifier. If there were, I'd think that epilepsy & narcolepsy would be high on the list, as would alcoholism & other drug addictions.

Over 80 percent of Wisconsinites favor universal background checks for firearm purchases, according to a new Marquette Law School Poll released this week.
No, 80% of the people polled answered the carefully-worded question in a way which could be looked at as being supportive of universal registration. How did they determine their sample population? Where's the raw data, the actual questions used?
And if he really believed universal registration was the answer, why wait for a poll? Why not introduce it the first day he was in office? Or the day after the spa shooting. Or the day after the temple shooting. Or the day after the latest school shooting.

Buying a firearm is inexpensive, quick and easy.
Obviously he hasn't tried to buy a firearm. :rolleyes:
I think we need a law saying that if an elected representative, at whatever level, wants to make a law about something s/he has to demonstrate basic competence in the subject matter.

Universal background checks ... will however significantly limit criminal access to firearms.
Why rely on decades of data from across the US? Why pay attention to research from various sources (including fedgov agencies) saying that universal registration / background checks do nothing to reduce the rate of violent crime?


JON RICHARDS
State Representative
Assembly District 19

Room 118 North
State Capitol
POB 8953
Madison, WI
53708
Telephone: (608) 266-0650; (888) 534-0019
Fax: (608) 282-3619

Rep.Richards@legis.wisconsin.gov

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/Pages/leg-info.aspx?d=19&h=A

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/richards/Pages/default.aspx
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Last edited:

davidmcbeth

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earth's crust
Enclosed is an E mail from Rep Richards who will be introducing a bill on universal background checks:
I am not sure if this is for a gun registry or he wants to genuinely close all 'loopholes.'

March 21, 2013

Rep. Richards to Propose Universal Background Checks


We have laws on our books that prohibit felons, violent criminals, domestic abusers or individuals with mental illness]

And yet he is still free? Oh boy.
 

apjonas

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Clarification

Is he talking federal law, state law or both?

This is a common mistake. No illness is a disqualifier. If there were, I'd think that epilepsy & narcolepsy would be high on the list, as would alcoholism & other drug addictions.

My non-expert input: Not directly but it is pretty difficult to receive a disqualification based upon adjudication as a mental defective or having been committed to a mental institution without some background of a severe mental illness. Narcolepsy and epilepsy, depending upon your source, may or may not be considered mental illness. In any case, neither is the sort of condition, per se, that would be disqualifying under most proposals. A personal afflicted with epilepsy is more likely to have certain personality disorders (and personality disorders - technically - are not mental illnesses) but there is nothing inherent in treated epilepsy that should lead to restrictions any more than Parkinsonism should.

Corrections - 1. Status as a felon is not necessarily disqualifying. The word "felon" does not even appear in the relevant section of Chapter 44, Title 18 USC. 2. Some misdemeanor convictions (other than domestic violence) may be disqualifying. 3. Being addicted to (or even a user of) a controlled substance is disqualifying, whether it is also considered an illness or not.
 
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