GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The nation’s highest court has struck down a long-standing New York State law, which limited the ability of people to carry guns in public.
Wisconsin does not have a similar gun law that would be challenged, but that doesn’t mean our state won’t be affected in some way in the future.
James Santelle is a former United States attorney for the Eastern District of the state and currently serves on the board for WAVE, the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort.
He says the Supreme Court’s decision to throw out New York’s concealed carry law, was not a great surprise.
“It establishes basically that the government has very little, if any, authorization to require permits and a processing based on need and specialized interest,” said Santelle.
He says although Wisconsin isn’t directly affected by the ruling now, it could still affect gun laws in the state in the future.
“One of the things I’m certain our Department of Justice in the state of Wisconsin is looking at right now is the impact of this very broad statement by the Supreme Court upon the state of Wisconsin’s process,” said Santelle.
Thomas Leager is the executive director of Wisconsin Gun Owners Inc., a gun rights organization. He says that he hopes the Supreme Court ruling will help Wisconsin get rid of its licensing process.
“If you’re able to pass a background check and you’re able to carry a gun, you’ll be able to carry it without paying a fee or go through the burden of going through another background check when you’ve already gone through one to get the firearm itself,” said Leager.
Wisconsin is a shall-issued state, meaning gun laws operate at the same level with concealed carry weapons licenses issued by the Department of Justice.
“From what I’ve seen, it’s going to open up a lot of new avenues for pro-second amendment laws,” said Leager.
According to U.S. Concealed Carry Association, over 460,000 concealed carry permits have been issued in Wisconsin.
Concealed carry is legal for residents with a concealed weapons license, and for non-residents with a license or permit from another state that Wisconsin honors.
“It’s a five year permit, there’s a bit of training involved and there’s also a fee that goes along with this,” said Santelle.
Leager says the SCOTUS ruling affects mainly may-issue states, which means an applicant must demonstrate a specific need for the permit.
“It’s a big win for the constitution,” said Leager. “It’s also a big win for self defense and the public’s right to carry for self defense.”
“This issue, I would simply say, is one that every American, whether you’re a gun owner, a non-gun owner, whatever you think of the second amendment, requires our attention, our focus and our academic interest and engagement,” said Santelle.
Comments