Hey everyone, welcome back to Guns and Gadgets, the premiere source for Second Amendment News, and we’re going to talk about the race to number 30. That’s right, we’re diving into a major shift in gun policy sweeping the nation, and that’s called freedom. The movement to Permitless Carry, the return to Constitutional Carry-ish. And now we’re going to move to Wisconsin, and this could be something that could shape firearms and firearm policy in that state. So buckle up, make sure you’re subscribed, and hit that bell notification if you haven’t yet, and let’s jump right into this one.

Here’s the headline. Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have introduced a bill that would allow, allow, I hate saying that, they don’t allow you to have your rights. Then it’s just a permission. Well, they have submitted a bill to move the state to Permitless Carry slash Constitutional Carry. Carrying a concealed firearm in public without a permit. That’s right, no license, no training requirement, or at least a significant reduction from what there is now. Now, I want to walk you through what the bill says, what it means, the arguments for and against it, and of course what this could mean for everyday folks like you, your friends, myself, all of us, our community.

Let’s go. First, let’s set the scene. As of right now in Wisconsin, you do need a permit, a concealed carry license, to carry a handgun concealed in many public places. The law has been evolving. For instance, open carry is legal in many cases without a permit, but concealed carry is more regulated. Now, under the proposed bill, and I’ll dig into the exact language here in a minute, the authors say that law-abiding adults would no longer need that permit to carry concealed. Basically, move Wisconsin to what is called Permitless Carry, or sometimes referred to as Constitutional Carry, to join the other 29 states that have already done that.

So, what does that change? Well, on paper, fewer bureaucratic steps for someone who wants to carry concealed. Less state oversight in training and licensing. Real quick, I want to thank the sponsor of the video, CMMG, for always supporting this channel. You guys and gals know that sometimes I get into some stuff that doesn’t always make everybody happy, and sometimes can be seen as controversial. If you believe in free speech, if you believe in the true meaning of the Second Amendment, and being able to call balls and strikes the way it is, well, CMMG has been supporting me to do that for years.

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It really, really means a lot. Let’s go back to Wisconsin and say, why is this a big deal? Well, if you don’t believe in the right to keep and bear arms, the permit requirement acts as a kind of a gatekeeper, if you will. Background checks, training, checks for government created disqualifications, etc. Removing it shifts some of the balance of responsibilities, and it triggers a lot of debate. Now, let’s dig into what the bill actually proposes. It would allow concealed carry in public for law-abiding adults without a state permit, a right that you already have.

The bill is sponsored by Republicans in the state legislature, and is being positioned as a rights expansion for gun owners. That’s another term I hate. I hate when they refer to Permitless Carry as an expansion of rights. It is not an expansion of a right, it is a restoration of a right that has been whittled away for eons. It is a movement to put that right to how it originally was. Off the soapbox, sorry. But it would shift Wisconsin into a category of states that have Permitless Carry, or concealed carry without that permit.

Sometimes people call it constitutional carry. And if it does pass and get signed by the governor, it would make Wisconsin number 30. Currently, North Carolina is trying to become number 30. They’ve already passed that bill through the legislature, but their Democrat governor has vetoed it, and they’re now fighting to override that veto, and it’s proving to be a tall task. The makeup of Wisconsin’s state senate is 18 Republicans to 15 Democrats. The Wisconsin State Assembly is 54 Republicans and 45 Democrats. Right away, everybody’s like, yeah buddy, but the governor is a Democrat.

We’ll see how he responds if the bill passes through the House and the Assembly and the Senate. The current Wisconsin law still has places where carry is restricted. You know, schools, certain government buildings, etc. And it’s not clear from the intel of the initial reporting, because this just hit the, they just started making the rounds in Wisconsin’s state legislature yesterday, they’re trying to get co-sponsors. So don’t have the wording of the bill yet, but the initial reporting is not clear on whether the bill addresses all exceptions or leaves one, two, or any of them intact.

Also, the requirement for training and licensing may not vanquish entirely either. The early reporting doesn’t make that fully clear yet, and it’s something that needs to be seen as well. The bottom line here is the threshold to concealed carry would get significantly lower under this proposal. The bill appears to be pitched as a reform for responsible gun owners. The ones who pass background checks already and who obey the law. The sponsors often emphasize that criminals don’t obey permit requirements anyway, so the laws for concealed carry mostly affect only lawful citizens. So why have it? And that’s the approach that they’re taking here in Wisconsin.

Now, of course, if you reduce permit and licensing requirements, you open up concerns in the eyes of the anti-gun lefties. And here are their major concerns and objections that they’ve said in every single state that has been fighting to go this route. Without a permit or training requirement, how do you ensure carriers have the basic safety training needed? If you remove or weaken the permit system, they argue that you remove important safeguards. They claim studies suggest states with permitless carry see higher rates of firearm injury or death. And that data can be complex and is often contested.

They also say public safety and law enforcement concerns include more people carrying concealed carry guns, might make it harder for cops to distinguish lawful carriers from unlawful actors. They also say that more guns in public spaces may increase the risk of mishandling a gun and accidental discharges or escalation of conflicts, but that has never been the case in any of the other 29 permitless carry states. In short, supporters say freedom in rights. Opponents raise safety training and practical consequences. And I say the Constitution says what it says and anything else is an infringement.

And while I’m obviously one who believes that permits, permits are unconstitutional infringement, they don’t pass the Bruin test. I do believe it is essential to not just present one side, but to actually wrestle with attention from both sides here. This is why I tell you what the other side thinks. I also believe that if you remove permits or licensing, you should still need a lot of training. Non-government mandated, of course, but you should always try to be the best that you can at every facet of your life to include weapon handling.

And of course, you should always include responsible behavior. But one thing to watch here is will Wisconsin’s legislation include any mandated training at all or will training become optional? So what’s the process now? Well, the bill has to be officially introduced in the Republican controlled Wisconsin legislature. Being introduced doesn’t mean it’ll pass unchanged or pass at all. It will have to go through committees, debates, and possible amendments. The opponents, the anti-gunners, the gun safety advocates, the moms demand action, the everytown for gun safeties, and democrats. They’ll raise concerns. They’ll try to force amendments or training requirements or age restrictions or safe storage provisions, etc.

But we have to watch things like will they remove training and licensing entirely or will some minimal requirement remain? And what will happen as far as exceptions? For example, schools, government buildings, bars, private property owners rights to prohibit carry, etc. Now, private property owners rights should still remain that right? My property is my property and nobody can tell me how to run my property. So I do believe in private property owners rights. But if it’s a private property that’s open to the public, that changes things vastly, in my opinion. As you watch this unfold, and if you live in Wisconsin, you might want to contact your state legislators voice your opinion because local voices do matter.

Permeas carry guys and gals. It’s on the menu in Wisconsin. It’s worth paying attention to. Will they become number 30? What do you think? Drop a comment down below. Are you for this type of change or against it? Why or why not? I really want to hear your perspective. I do know there are people who watch this channel that are anti-gun or very reserved in their opinion or their view of the Second Amendment and I do value your opinion. I would love to hear how you think and why you think that way.

If you found this video helpful, please hit the like button. It does help the channel get the word out. Share this with someone else who cares about gun policy or state politics. Maybe it’ll spark a useful conversation. Thanks so much for watching guys and gals. I’ll be keeping a close eye on how this bill progresses and I’ll keep you up to date. All you got to do is subscribe to the channel to stay in the know. Until next time, stay safe, stay vigilant, and carry a gun and I’ll see you on the next one.

Take care. [tr:trw].

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