As the new year begins, state lawmakers and officials will continue to grapple with how to prevent school shootings, like the one just two weeks ago in Madison.
While Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has called for a "holistic approach" to prevent such incidents, gun violence prevention advocates said prevention starts with stronger gun laws.
Lindsay Nicols, policy director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the state could require universal background checks for gun purchases or raise the age for gun possession.
"We know that some of these shooters are young people themselves, and there are plenty of policies, for example, to keep guns out of the hands of youth," Nicols pointed out. "These are laws that some states have passed and some haven't, so we need action from our lawmakers to prevent, and protect our kids."
She noted other options are to pass a "red flag" law, or strengthen legislation on firearms storage. Giffords ranks states on a scorecard for their gun laws every year. Wisconsin most recently received a "C" grade.
Giffords' yearly analysis also compares states' gun laws with their fatal outcomes. Nicols emphasized time and again, they have found the stronger a state's gun laws, the lower its gun death rate, and the weaker the laws, the higher the gun death rate.
"We know that these gun laws work," Nicols contended. "There really is no reason why legislators shouldn't be taking action to prevent these tragedies."
While Wisconsin has enacted basic gun safety laws, she argued the state could also pass bans on assault weapons or high-capacity magazines or lengthen the waiting period for a firearms purchase.
Despite public pressure for new gun safety laws in 2020, Wisconsin has not passed any significant gun legislation in years. Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to introduce at least 30 gun safety measures since 2019.
