A bill eliminating the 48 hour wait to buy a handgun in Wisconsin received a public hearing before a state Senate committee on Wednesday.
State Representative Mary Czaja (R-Irma) told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the existing wait endangers women who need a gun to protect themselves.
“Allowing a woman, or anyone for that matter, the ability to purchase a gun a gun when they need it can save lives. Women are more often targeted by criminals, and a gun can help level the playing field against a larger and stronger assailant,” she said.
State Senator Fred Risser (D-Madison) was incredulous. “A husband and wife get into a fight, and you want to let the wife run down to the local gun shop and get a gun right away, and come back with a gun to protect herself? Is that the way you want to run society?”
“You know what Senator, if a woman feels threatened, if anyone feels threatened . . . and they have a legal right to possess a firearm, and they pass a background check, yes I believe they have a right to protect themselves,” Czaja said.
Czaja and Senate sponsor Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) said background checks can be completed in as little as an hour and anyone who passes should be able to leave with a handgun.
Wanggaard said many other items can be used as weapons with no waiting period, including steak knives or shotguns. The Assembly version of the bill received a public hearing last month.