Concealed Carry Law "Restores Dose of Constitutionalism"

The culmination of years of hard work and grassroots advocacy has come to fruition with the passage of Senate Bill 93 in the Wisconsin State Legislature.  As other priorities were fulfilled in recent weeks with the approval of a fiscally responsible 2011-13 state budget, it became increasingly clear that the time to finally pass a concealed carry bill into law was at hand.

Despite the long and rich tradition that firearms have played in the history of our state, Wisconsin was one of only two states in the entire nation without some form of concealed carry legislation.  Notwithstanding the efforts of previous legislatures, and despite the bill arriving twice to the desk of former Gov. Jim Doyle, Wisconsinites were not permitted to exercise a right fundamental to their personal safety and protection.  Moreover, government stood in the way of honest citizens hoping to partake in an individual freedom outlined specifically in the U.S. Constitution by the Second Amendment.

By a bipartisan vote of 68-27 in the Assembly and 25-8 in the Senate, the Legislature will be sending this bill once again to the governor's desk, this time with the expectation that it will be signed into law within the next several days.  I am incredibly proud of the fortitude shown by my colleagues in the Legislature from both sides of the aisle to come together in support of this bill.  I am confident that it will go far in increasing public safety, restoring a healthy dose of Constitutionalism into the public sphere, reducing crime, and maintaining a value deeply ingrained in our state's history and traditions.  Moreover, this sends a clear message to those judicial activists who have interfered with this Constitutional right in the past, namely that the people will hold them accountable and assert their natural right to defend themselves. 

Specifically, this bill contains a streamlined licensing process and requires criminal background checks and firearms safety training (with certain exemptions) for those who wish to carry concealed weapons in Wisconsin.  While there is a valid argument to be made for those who say that the state has no right to impose these limitations on anyone wishing to exercise a Constitutional right, I nevertheless am pleased that those with a concealed carry permit will have undergone a familiarity period with their firearm. 

At the end of the day, this bill took far too long to become a reality.  I am, however, gratified to cast my vote in favor of the Constitution, in favor of greater individual liberty, and for the good people of Wisconsin who are more than capable enough to provide for their own personal protection in a mature and responsible manner.