In January, the state Assembly passed Senate Bill 570, Assembly Bill 518 and Assembly Bill 495. These bills are all related to gun control. Their goals are to allow people with concealed carry licenses on school grounds and in churches, to lower the minimum age for obtaining a concealed carry license and to allow anyone with a concealed carry license from another state to be armed in Wisconsin. Though these bills have passed in the state Assembly, they have not been approved or vetoed by Governor Evers yet. 

Madison has a 94% higher crime rate than other Wisconsin cities do. In the span of one year, incidents where shots were fired increased by over 100. Homicides per year went from four to an all-time high of ten, two years in a row. Nationally, gun violence has been on the rise. In 2021, there were 20,726 gun deaths excluding suicides. There were 623 mass shootings, killing 702 people and injuring 2,844 more. On average, at least one child is shot per day in the US. There is clearly an epidemic happening here.

We at the Clarion do not approve of these bills. While guns are not evil, they can be easily misused. Legislation created regarding gun control should either stay the same or become stricter, not less regulated. 18 years old is simply too young to have a gun; that’s the average age of a senior in high school. If they are not old enough to drink, gamble or even rent a car, they are not old enough to carry a concealed weapon.

In the future, we hope to see more strict gun control laws proposed. We hope that Governor Evers will veto these bills, and take action like this in the future as well.