As Mass Shootings Continue, Democrats Push for Action on Gun Safety

MADISON – After a series of horrific mass shootings across the county, legislative Democrats are continuing to push for legislation to combat gun violence. Assembly Bill 431 would close the gun show loophole that enables individuals with criminal convictions to purchase a firearm but is currently being blocked by Republican politicians.

As a co-sponsor of the legislation, Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling released the following statement:

“Gun violence is one of the most pressing public health issues we face today and all I hear from my Republican colleagues is, ‘There is nothing we can do.’ As a lawmaker and a mother, I do not accept that this is the way it has to be. That defeatist attitude is an insult to the lives lost from gun violence and to the survivors that still grapple with the trauma they went through. Republicans need to have the courage to stand up to the NRA and prioritize the safety and well-being of Wisconsin residents. Every day that we don’t do something is one more day closer to another tragedy.”

Mass shootings similar to El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH have happened right here in Wisconsin communities including Middleton, Brookfield, Oak Creek, and Wausau. A Marquette Law Poll found 80 percent of Wisconsinites – including the vast majority of gun owners – support expanding background checks.

Mass shootings can be prevented. PolitiFact Wisconsin recently confirmed the troubling reality that a loophole in current state law allows dangerous convicted felons and domestic abusers to purchase firearms without going through a background check that would have otherwise disqualified them. Several individuals have already exploited this loophole to acquire firearms and build arsenals that are then used to commit mass murders.