Elected officials, educators, students in Dane County want special session on gun reform

State Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) — Wisconsin State Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison.
Photo: Greg Anderson

Elected officials, school board members, educators and students from across Dane County are calling on state and federal lawmakers to pass common-sense gun reform.

“As the father of two teenagers and a leader in our community, I am calling on the governor to take immediate action on gun violence by calling a special session of the Legislature and on Speaker (Paul) Ryan to bring this issue before Congress immediately,” stated Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “Today I have sent a petition to Gov. Walker and Speaker Ryan that has been signed by thousands of Wisconsin residents who are asking them to fix the system for our kids.”

Over the past week thousand have signed a petition calling for the following reforms:

• Mandatory universal background checks

• Assault weapon ban

• Ban aftermarket devices (bump stocks) that allow you to modify a gun into a rapid-fire weapon

• Keep people who are subject to domestic violence protection orders from having guns

“School safety is not a political issue. It is about keeping our children safe,” said Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham. “Our legislative leaders at the state and federal level have not only the ability but the responsibility to act on behalf of our children.”

Assembly Democrats want Walker to call a special session of the Wisconsin State Legislature to pass AB 65/SB 34 for universal background checks, AB 597/SB 563 to prohibits individuals convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor from possessing a firearm and AB 616 to ban bump stocks.

“Policymakers at every level must act now in enacting common-sense gun safety measures and do everything in our power to stop the senseless killing of children and community members,” said state Rep. Chris Taylor. “We know that there are many gun safety measures, including universal background checks, that can help stop gun violence and prevent dangerous individuals from getting a firearm. Enough is enough.”