Legislation being considered at the Capitol would go after straw purchases of handguns.
The bill would make it a felony for someone to purchase a gun, then hand it over to a convicted felon.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm says it’s happening with hundreds of guns each year and it’s putting law enforcement at risk. He says there are multiple cases each year where police are recovering guns at crime scenes that were just recently purchased by someone else. There have also been several cases where police have been injured by handguns criminals received through a straw buyer.
Chisholm admits straw buying is difficult to prove, but he thinks making it a felony could prevent many purchases from even taking place.
The bill is sponsored by state Representative Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford), who has been trying to get the measure passed for nearly a decade.
The legislation is being considered by an Assembly committee.