Gun owners in Wisconsin may soon be asked to give up their legally purchased AR-15-style rifles.
On September 19, the Associated Press reported that Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said he is considering implementing a mandatory buyback program for “assault weapons” — the term typically given to semi-automatic rifles with a tactical appearance. The proposal mirrors those made by Democratic presidential candidate and former Congressman Beto O’Rourke.
O’Rourke has recently rebranded his struggling campaign to be almost entirely focused on gun control advocacy. The former Texas Congressman has consistently trailed in the Democratic presidential primary polls, but still manages to garner enough support for televised debates.
Wisconsin’s Republican lawmakers are resisting the governor’s plan. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos responded by issuing a joint statement, contending that the real agenda here is to take away legally-owned firearms.
Obviously, that is exactly what’s happening here. By making the buyback mandatory, Governor Evers is essentially saying “turn in your guns, or else.”
Wisconsin Democrats are currently stumping for a “red flag” bill that would allow judges to suspend Second Amendment rights for gun owners that are suspected to be problematic.
Gun control efforts in Wisconsin prompted a response from the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.
“Governor Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul are already working with legislators to pass sweeping gun control. Among them is likely to be a bill that would allow Second Amendment rights to be stripped away without due process,” the statement read. “Please contact your legislators and remind them to OPPOSE any gun control schemes backed by Gov. Evers and Attorney General Kaul, especially legislation that would violate fundamental due process rights.”
