MADISON, WI – In an effort to keep Wisconsin college campuses safe, Rep. Deb Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay) joined legislative colleagues and gun safety advocates today to announce the introduction of legislation that would prohibit individuals from possessing firearms in buildings or on the grounds of a college or university, similar to other gun-free school zones in the state.
“Young adults can’t learn if they don’t feel safe,” said Rep. Andraca. “Students, faculty, and staff in higher education deserve the same level of protection under the law as K-12 schools, and be able to teach and learn with the peace of mind that firearms are not welcome on our campuses.”
Current Wisconsin law prohibits a person from carrying firearms in certain public buildings, such as police stations or sheriff’s offices, prisons or jails, courthouses, and K-12 schools – but it does not apply to Wisconsin’s college or university buildings. This proposal, which mirrors legislation authored by Rep. Andraca in 2024, adds public and private college and university buildings to the list of places where possessing a firearm would be prohibited. It includes specific exemptions for law enforcement officers, military personnel, and participants who are using a firearm in a program approved by the college or university.
“Roughly 60 percent of gun deaths are suicides, and access to a firearm is lethal approximately 90 percent of the time. At a time when students can experience high levels of stress and anxiety, access to a firearm – theirs or someone else’s – is too great a risk.”
