MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on Gov. Tony Evers calling a special session on gun control bills (all times local):
12:30 p.m.
Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature aren’t interested in gun control bills Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is calling a special session for them to take up.
Evers issued the special session call on Monday for the Legislature to take up the bills on Nov. 7.
But Republican legislative leaders say they view the proposals as an infringement on Second Amendment gun ownership rights and won’t take them up. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald have long been against the bills.
One would institute universal background checks for gun purchases and another would institute a “red flag” law allowing a judge to take away guns from a person determined to be a threat.
While Evers can call the special session, nothing requires the Legislature to actually vote on the bills.
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11:15 a.m.
Wisconsin’s Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he sees the governor’s call for a special session on gun control measures “the first attack on the Second Amendment.”
Fitzgerald reacted Monday to Evers calling a special session for next month. He wants the Legislature to take votes on a universal background check bill and a “red flag” measure allowing judges to take guns away from people deemed to be a threat.
Fitzgerald says the Senate “will not be part of a drawn-out strategy to infringe on constitutional rights.”
He says, “Liberals across the country are upping their rhetoric in support of taking guns from law-abiding citizens.”
Fitzgerald is running for Congress in the 6th Congressional District, which includes conservative suburbs of Milwaukee.
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10:05 a.m.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says Republican legislative leaders who oppose gun control bills that polls show enjoy broad public support are essentially telling the public to “go to hell.”
Evers made the comment Monday after calling a special session of the Republican-controlled Legislature next month to take up two gun control bills. One would institute universal background checks, the other would put in a place a “red flag” law allowing judges to take away guns from people determined to be a threat to themselves or other.
Evers pointed to a Marquette University Law School poll from September showing 80% support both proposals. He says the Legislature owes the public an up or down vote on the bills.
Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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9:32 a.m.
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is calling the Republican-controlled Legislature into a special session to take up a pair of gun control measures that GOP leaders have been unwilling to debate.
The move Evers announced Monday does not force Republicans to debate or vote on the bills. But it does give Democrats another means to spotlight the issues that a poll in August showed more than 80% of the public support.
Evers wants the Legislature to take up a bill creating universal background checks for most handgun purchases. He’s also calling them to vote on a “red flag” bill that would give judges the power to take weapons away from people deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.
This is the first special session Evers has called as governor.
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