The Governor is out with a new set of gun control initiatives, but one group says those proposals won't do much to reduce crime.
The Governor on Tuesday unveiled legislative initiatives largely aimed a ending gun-related violence in Milwaukee. However, Wisconsin Pro-Gun Movement director Jim Fendry says they won't really solve the problems facing the state because most only impact people who buy guys legally.
The plan includes more monitoring for individuals who can't legally possess firearms, such as felons and those who have been civilly committed. Fendry expects the measure to have the support it needs, but it doubts it will keep guns away from everyone who shouldn't have one.
It also closes a so-called gun show loophole by only allowing federally licensed dealers to make sales. Fendry says 95 percent of the people running tables at gun shows are already licensed and run background checks.
The proposal would also create a statewide gun ballistics database. Fendry says such a system is based on the assumption that fired bullets are like human fingerprints, but he says that's not the case with guns. Over time, repeated firings can wear down the barrel and change the unique print left on a bullet fired from that weapon.
The Governor also wants to repeal the state's 1995 pre-emption law, which erased local gun control ordinances. Fendry says that breaks away from what's largely been a state policy on several other issues, such as liquor ordinances and traffic laws.
Several of the proposals from the Governor have already been introduced at the Capitol by lawmakers.