Wisconsin: Self-Defense Bills Pass Assembly, On to Senate

Yesterday, the Assembly passed four NRA-backed self-defense bills on bipartisan voice votes. They will now go to the Senate for further consideration. Please contact your state senator and ask them to SUPPORT Assembly Bills 498, 518, 495, and 597.

Assembly Bill 498 lowers the minimum age to apply for a concealed carry permit from 21 years old, to 18 years old. Adults aged 18-20 are old enough to vote, serve on a jury, serve in the military, and enter into contracts. It is unreasonable for the law to discriminate against them by preventing them from exercising a fundamental right to defend themselves and their families.

Assembly Bill 518 grants universal recognition to concealed carry permits held by non-Wisconsin residents, issued by any other state. It repeals the requirement that such recognition be only for permits from states on an arbitrary list maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. This reform recognizes that visitors traveling to Wisconsin should not be left defenseless simply by crossing a state line.

Assembly Bill 495 allows adults who are licensed to carry firearms to drive onto school grounds to pick-up or drop-off their students without first having to unload and store away their firearms in their vehicles. So-called “gun-free zones” simply disarm law-abiding citizens and leave them defenseless against the criminals who ignore such arbitrary boundaries.

Assembly Bill 597 affirms that law-abiding adults with a license to carry firearms for self-defense may do so in places of worship located on private school property with permission from the governing body of the place of worship. This ensures that such decisions involving security are left up to private property owners, rather than the government mandating a one-size-fits-all solution. 

Again, please contact your state senator and ask them to SUPPORT Assembly Bills 498, 518, 495, and 597.