Grant Guess
Regular Member
This executive session is scheduled THIS THURSDAY at 10am. We need to have made a SUBSTANTIAL impact by that time. Please act quickly. Pass this information on to everyone you can. We have made progress in the Senate. Now we need to let the Assembly hear us loud and clear.
Time to Act Fast: Permit Bill AB 126 Likely to Pass WI Assembly Committee Thursday, but Still No Constitutional Carry Bill
An executive session of the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections is scheduled for THIS THURSDAY, June 2nd. The business they'll be discussing? Advancement of AB 126 to the floor, the concealed carry bill that mandates permits.
Let's review, shall we... Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald still refuses to allow a constitutional carry bill even to be introduced...in caucus, in committee, on the floor. In fact, he was on Charlie Sykes radio program just a few short days ago stating that the Assembly was going to go for gun permitting and mandated education. Well, gee, do you think they might go for something else if you let something else be INTRODUCED, Speaker Fitzgerald? It's really easy to choose permits when that's all your handed.
This morning, I looked through the list of 30 Assembly co-sponsors of AB 126. That list is below for your convenience.
Jeff Mursau (R-36) AUTHOR
Mary Williams (R-87)
Garry Bies (R-1)
Joel Kleefisch (R-38)
Joan Ballweg (R-41)
Kathy Bernier (R-68)
Ed Brooks (R-50)
Mike Endsley (R-26)
Mark Honadel (R-21)
Andre Jacque (R-2)
Samantha Kerkman (R-66)
Steve Kestell (R-27)
Joe Knilans (R-44)
Dean Knudson (R-30)
Tom Larson (R-67)
Daniel LeMahieu (R-59)
John Murtha (R-29)
Stephen Nass (R-31)
Lee Nerison (R-96)
John Nygren (R-89)
Alvin Ott (R-3)
Kevin Petersen (R-40)
Warren Petryk (R-93)
Roger Rivard (R-75)
Erik Severson (R-28)
Richard Spanbauer (R-53)
Jim Steineke (R-5)
Pat Strachota (R-58)
Gary Tauchen (R-6)
Karl Van Roy (R-90)
Now, some of those representatives are signed on because they're hedging their bets. They actually support constitutional carry, but they don't know if they're going to see the right bill. They'd rather have something than nothing. But many of the people on that list are in the "only with permits and/or state-mandated education" camp. Because we don't always know who's who, we need to politely reach out to everyone on that list to respectfully EDUCATE and PERSUADE them. How? We need people in each of these districts to head the charge by getting others in your district to flood these legislators' phones and inboxes with respectful but firm messages. In order to ensure that all Assembly leadership is getting the full impact of the number of messages coming into the Capitol on this isssue, please also copy the following individuals on your correspondence:
Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald Speaker Pro Tempore
Bill Kramer Assembly Leader
Scott Suder Assembly Assistant Leader
Dan Knodl Caucus Chairperson
Joan Ballweg Caucus Vice Chairperson
John Murtha Caucus Secretary
Mary Williams
Jeff Mursau, author, AB 126 Concealed Carry with Mandated Permitting
Garry Bies, Chair, Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
Andre Jacques, Vice-Chair, Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
Steve Kestell, Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
Ed Brooks, Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
Scott Krug, Committee on Criminal Justice and Correction
Jeremy Thiesfeldt, Committee on Criminal Justice and Correction
A useful list of information to use as you're communicating with your representative follows. You don't have to use all of these points. Mix and match as you deem appropriate. Use your own voice. Individualized, personalized messages are always more effective. Constitutional Carry is the right of law-abiding citizens to carry open or concealed without government mandates of any kind, whether permits, registration, or training--uninfringed, as the plain language of the United States Constitution describes. As of 1998, the Wisconsin State Constitution, Article I, Section 25, similarly reads: "The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose. "A constitutional carry bill must be introduced in the Assembly. AB 126 should be a FALLBACK option, NOT the bill the Assembly works first to advance. By NOT allowing the introduction of a constitutional carry bill, Assembly leadership is, in fact, disenfranchising the majority of conservatives, who overwhelmingly support the plain language of the constitution. Constitutional carry is uncompromisingly and fully supported in the platform of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. If you're a party member, hold your representative accountable to that platform, and tell them that you are doing so.Projected cost of a mandated permitting system: over $2 million in the first year alone, over $1 million every year thereafter, including payroll for 13 full-time staff. Money we don't have at a time when we're trying to CUT spending. Constitutional carry would allow legislators to be fiscally consistent with their support of Governor Walker's Budget Repair Bill.Constitutional carry makes NO fiscal demand on taxpayers, nor on sheriffs and local law enforcement. However, an optional permitting process, as provided for in SB 93, could be established at LOW cost for those who want to exercise their right to carry in other states. Again, it's far more fiscally responsible.Mandated permitting will disenfranchise thousands who want and need to protect themselves.. It's already expensive to buy a gun. That cost isn't going to decrease. Add the cost of a permit and perhaps mandated education---the cost of which we also know will increase over time---and you've priced the RIGHT to protect oneself and one's property out of possibility for THOUSANDS of Wisconsinites. Democrats regularly re-victimize the poor and women via their policies. Should Republicans be doing the same thing...? Taxing people for concealing a weapon amounts to taxing people for wearing a shirt, sweater, jacket or purse. Republicans are supposed to be the sane party when it comes to taxation. Combined, 8.5 million people in Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, and Wyoming can carry without any permit or government mandates, as the constitution guarantees There have been no problems with this policy. In fact, Vermont has never restricted the 2nd Amendment rights of its citizens, has never had reason to change its stance, and is a notoriously liberal state.Including Wisconsin, 28 states allow open-carry with no permit, registration, or training mandates. The revocation rate for open-carry permits in these states is well under 1%. That statistic speaks to the fact that those who possess firearms take their responsibilities seriously. Constitutional carry would not change this fact, but only enhance it.A number of states, including Utah and Texas, are now working to repeal their permitting systems in favor of constitutional carry. Why would Wisconsin not take a cue from other states that have gone well ahead of us?
Time to Act Fast: Permit Bill AB 126 Likely to Pass WI Assembly Committee Thursday, but Still No Constitutional Carry Bill
An executive session of the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections is scheduled for THIS THURSDAY, June 2nd. The business they'll be discussing? Advancement of AB 126 to the floor, the concealed carry bill that mandates permits.
Let's review, shall we... Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald still refuses to allow a constitutional carry bill even to be introduced...in caucus, in committee, on the floor. In fact, he was on Charlie Sykes radio program just a few short days ago stating that the Assembly was going to go for gun permitting and mandated education. Well, gee, do you think they might go for something else if you let something else be INTRODUCED, Speaker Fitzgerald? It's really easy to choose permits when that's all your handed.
This morning, I looked through the list of 30 Assembly co-sponsors of AB 126. That list is below for your convenience.
Jeff Mursau (R-36) AUTHOR
Mary Williams (R-87)
Garry Bies (R-1)
Joel Kleefisch (R-38)
Joan Ballweg (R-41)
Kathy Bernier (R-68)
Ed Brooks (R-50)
Mike Endsley (R-26)
Mark Honadel (R-21)
Andre Jacque (R-2)
Samantha Kerkman (R-66)
Steve Kestell (R-27)
Joe Knilans (R-44)
Dean Knudson (R-30)
Tom Larson (R-67)
Daniel LeMahieu (R-59)
John Murtha (R-29)
Stephen Nass (R-31)
Lee Nerison (R-96)
John Nygren (R-89)
Alvin Ott (R-3)
Kevin Petersen (R-40)
Warren Petryk (R-93)
Roger Rivard (R-75)
Erik Severson (R-28)
Richard Spanbauer (R-53)
Jim Steineke (R-5)
Pat Strachota (R-58)
Gary Tauchen (R-6)
Karl Van Roy (R-90)
Now, some of those representatives are signed on because they're hedging their bets. They actually support constitutional carry, but they don't know if they're going to see the right bill. They'd rather have something than nothing. But many of the people on that list are in the "only with permits and/or state-mandated education" camp. Because we don't always know who's who, we need to politely reach out to everyone on that list to respectfully EDUCATE and PERSUADE them. How? We need people in each of these districts to head the charge by getting others in your district to flood these legislators' phones and inboxes with respectful but firm messages. In order to ensure that all Assembly leadership is getting the full impact of the number of messages coming into the Capitol on this isssue, please also copy the following individuals on your correspondence:
Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald Speaker Pro Tempore
Bill Kramer Assembly Leader
Scott Suder Assembly Assistant Leader
Dan Knodl Caucus Chairperson
Joan Ballweg Caucus Vice Chairperson
John Murtha Caucus Secretary
Mary Williams
Jeff Mursau, author, AB 126 Concealed Carry with Mandated Permitting
Garry Bies, Chair, Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
Andre Jacques, Vice-Chair, Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
Steve Kestell, Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
Ed Brooks, Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
Scott Krug, Committee on Criminal Justice and Correction
Jeremy Thiesfeldt, Committee on Criminal Justice and Correction
A useful list of information to use as you're communicating with your representative follows. You don't have to use all of these points. Mix and match as you deem appropriate. Use your own voice. Individualized, personalized messages are always more effective. Constitutional Carry is the right of law-abiding citizens to carry open or concealed without government mandates of any kind, whether permits, registration, or training--uninfringed, as the plain language of the United States Constitution describes. As of 1998, the Wisconsin State Constitution, Article I, Section 25, similarly reads: "The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose. "A constitutional carry bill must be introduced in the Assembly. AB 126 should be a FALLBACK option, NOT the bill the Assembly works first to advance. By NOT allowing the introduction of a constitutional carry bill, Assembly leadership is, in fact, disenfranchising the majority of conservatives, who overwhelmingly support the plain language of the constitution. Constitutional carry is uncompromisingly and fully supported in the platform of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. If you're a party member, hold your representative accountable to that platform, and tell them that you are doing so.Projected cost of a mandated permitting system: over $2 million in the first year alone, over $1 million every year thereafter, including payroll for 13 full-time staff. Money we don't have at a time when we're trying to CUT spending. Constitutional carry would allow legislators to be fiscally consistent with their support of Governor Walker's Budget Repair Bill.Constitutional carry makes NO fiscal demand on taxpayers, nor on sheriffs and local law enforcement. However, an optional permitting process, as provided for in SB 93, could be established at LOW cost for those who want to exercise their right to carry in other states. Again, it's far more fiscally responsible.Mandated permitting will disenfranchise thousands who want and need to protect themselves.. It's already expensive to buy a gun. That cost isn't going to decrease. Add the cost of a permit and perhaps mandated education---the cost of which we also know will increase over time---and you've priced the RIGHT to protect oneself and one's property out of possibility for THOUSANDS of Wisconsinites. Democrats regularly re-victimize the poor and women via their policies. Should Republicans be doing the same thing...? Taxing people for concealing a weapon amounts to taxing people for wearing a shirt, sweater, jacket or purse. Republicans are supposed to be the sane party when it comes to taxation. Combined, 8.5 million people in Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, and Wyoming can carry without any permit or government mandates, as the constitution guarantees There have been no problems with this policy. In fact, Vermont has never restricted the 2nd Amendment rights of its citizens, has never had reason to change its stance, and is a notoriously liberal state.Including Wisconsin, 28 states allow open-carry with no permit, registration, or training mandates. The revocation rate for open-carry permits in these states is well under 1%. That statistic speaks to the fact that those who possess firearms take their responsibilities seriously. Constitutional carry would not change this fact, but only enhance it.A number of states, including Utah and Texas, are now working to repeal their permitting systems in favor of constitutional carry. Why would Wisconsin not take a cue from other states that have gone well ahead of us?
