MADISON – In response to the recent shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, Milwaukee, and many more this week alone – Legislative Democrats, along with members of the Wisconsin Coalition for Gun Safety held a press conference calling for action from legislative leaders. Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released the following statement:
“How many more mass shootings will our country witness before Republicans lawmakers have the courage to do what’s right?
“Every two years, legislators are tasked with taking on the pressing issues facing our state and nation. To do nothing while 19 families in Uvalde grieve the murder of 19 young children is a dereliction of duty. To do nothing after a white supremacist targeted Black individuals at a grocery store in Buffalo is ignoring the pervasive racism and violence that runs through our country. People across the country are working to process and cope with these atrocities.
“We cannot sit idly by, offering only thoughts and prayers, when we need immediate action. Let me be clear, we are one bad day away from this happening here in Wisconsin. We simply cannot paralyze ourselves in partisanship any longer when parents are being asked to give DNA samples to help identify their children who were mutilated by bullets from an AR-15.
“Today, my Democratic colleagues and I are calling on the leaders of the State Senate and State Assembly to join us in working to pass common sense gun safety measures like Universal Background Checks on all firearm purchases and Extreme Risk Protection Orders. This is not political. It is a genuine request to work together. We must set aside our partisan differences in order to save lives. The fact is, the only place that addressing gun violence is a partisan issue is in the Capitol. Over 80% of the public supports both of these common sense bills that are proven policies to reduce gun violence while still respecting 2nd amendment rights.
“We can do this together, not as Republicans and Democrats, but as Wisconsinites working to create a safer future for our children.”
