POLITICS - Finally some good news...and some bad.

[Old Time Hunter]

THURSDAY, Feb. 28, 2008, 4:09 p.m.
By Steve Schultze

Senate passes gun seizure bill
Madison - The governor and local officials would lose the power to seize guns and ammunition from citizens during a state of emergency, under a bill passed on a 26-5 vote today by the Senate.

The measure was prompted by gun seizures by New Orleans police in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The bill was approved by the Assembly earlier.

Gov. Jim Doyle needs to review the measure before deciding whether he'll sign it, said Jessica Erickson, a spokeswoman for Doyle.

The lopsided vote in both houses - the Assembly approved it in December by a vote of 84-13 - should give Doyle pause about vetoing the bill, said Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend), one of its sponsors. Those votes show that a veto could be overridden, he said.

The strong vote for the measure "is a testament to the power of the NRA," said Grothman. The National Rifle Association backed the measure.

Democratic Sens. Spencer Coggs and Lena Taylor, both of Milwaukee; Judy Robson of Beloit; Mark Miller of Monona; and Fred Risser of Madison voted against the bill.

And some bad:

No-gun list draws further support
Mental health information would go to U.S. database
By STACY FORSTER
sforster@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 27, 2008
Madison - Lawmakers are advancing a bill that would require the state to submit mental health information on residents who aren't allowed to own guns to a federal database used for background checks on gun purchases.


On Wednesday, the measure passed the Assembly's Committee on Criminal Justice, and the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Housing will have a hearing on Tuesday.

Wisconsin is one of 18 states that do not provide the federal government with mental health information on residents who should be barred from owning guns. The data is collected in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. .

Privacy concerns have prevented Wisconsin's Department of Justice from sharing mental health commitment information with the federal database.

Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), who authored the bill with gun-rights advocate Rep. Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford), called it a loophole.

"Federal law prohibits people with involuntary mental health commitments from possessing firearms, but Wisconsin does not make the information available," she said.

Many states, including Wisconsin, moved toward providing such information to the federal database since last spring's shootings at Virginia Tech, when Seung-Hui Cho, who had a history of mental illness, killed 32 people and himself.

At the time of the Virginia Tech shooting, there were about 100,000 mental health records in the FBI database, said Steve Fischer, a spokesman for the FBI. That's up to about 400,000 now.

"Ideally we'd like to have all 50 states giving us as much information as we can have," Fischer said. "The system is only as good as the information in it."

Illinois made changes to its laws, but it's unclear whether they could have prevented this month's shootings at Northern Illinois University. The gunman, Steven Kazmierczak, had been on medication but may not have been prevented from buying a gun.

Gov. Jim Doyle, a former attorney general, said in an interview he whole-heartedly supports the idea.

"I think we can do this in a way that protects the privacy but also gets the information (to authorities)," he said. "Many other states do it, and I think Wisconsin should do it."

But with lawmakers slated to conclude their work March 13, it's unclear whether the bill has time to pass this session.

Federal legislation makes grants available to help states update technology to submit mental health records to the database. Passing the bill would allow Wisconsin to apply for such grants.


Currently, the state Department of Justice receives information from courts about mental illness - such as involuntary commitments - that might prohibit someone from owning a gun. However, the state is not allowed to share that information with the federal database.

Darling said she has worked to address concerns of mental health advocates - who feared the state law might expand on federal requirements or the information could be used for other purposes - and those who support gun rights.

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen told the Assembly committee he supports the bill because it affects only those who have been involuntarily committed for treatment or are subject to court-ordered guardianships or placement, not those who voluntarily seek mental health treatment.

[Jeeps]

The strong vote for the measure "is a testament to the power of the power of the NRA"

Some would call it a testament to common sense.

Good for them, I'm wondering how many others have had this kind of legislation
passed already?

This is truly the only way to keep your second amendment in tact during an
emergency. I hope it works when needed.

The second part scares me more than a little. I understand we don't want folks
who can't make rational decisions having weapons, but who draws the line in
sand that says "these folks are the ones", and how can that line be pushed
back and forth by powerful people with agendas?

[old goat]

...Typical politics! The second law, will give them a way around the first law. That way they can tell everyone that they are on their side, and passed a law to prove it, no matter which way that person leans.


...old goat

[Ysabel Kid]

If I recall though, Doyle has made a career of thumbing his nose at the gun owners in his state. Didn't he twice veto concealed carry laws?

[Old Savage]

Good progress - don't have a good word for democrats.

[handirifle]

Good for them, I'm wondering how many others have had this kind of legislation
passed already?

Believe it or not CA did.

[BenT]

Doyle fits the Democrat stereotype. Antigun , pro tax.

[Jeeps]

Good for them, I'm wondering how many others have had this kind of legislation
passed already?

Believe it or not CA did.

Honestly?? It passed? Or is it still being considered? If true that is AWESOME.

I know the 2nd amendment is plain in it's wording, but seeing as people are
trying to use laws to tear it down, maybe the best thing we can do is use laws
to bolster it up again. Makes me kinda sick to think we have to make laws to
protect our obvious Bill of Rights recognized born into freedoms.

I'm a firm believer that the less laws we have the more freedom we have.
But if we have to have a law it might as well be the right ones.