Here & Now

Evers, Johnson, Baldwin Respond to Texas School Shooting

Frederica Freyberg:

The nation is reeling after the school shooting this week in Texas that killed 19 fourth graders and two teachers. Wisconsin U.S. Senator Democrat Tammy Baldwin said her heart breaks again, and “We cannot accept doing nothing every time this happens. I support passing legislation in the Senate that puts in place universal background checks for all gun sales.” Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson called on the Senate to enact a data clearinghouse on school safety after his initial response where he said, “There are no adequate words to express the horror at Robb Elementary. My sincere condolences to these families. Something this horrific, children being slaughtered in their school, it does not get worse than this.” Governor Tony Evers this week responded to the murders of the children and their teachers in Texas, asking that Wisconsin work together to protect against gun violence.

Tony Evers:

Enough is enough for too damn long. We cannot accept that gun violence just happens. We cannot accept that kids might go to school and never come home. Our families are living in fear. Our kids are learning in fear. In this state, we cannot accept policies and rhetoric that will make this problem worse while common sense measures supported by an overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites go nowhere. Just last month, the legislature sent me a bill that would have allowed certain people to possess loaded guns on school grounds. A bill that would be law today if I hadn’t vetoed it. We’ve called the legislature into special session on universal background checks and we’ve called for extreme risk protection orders to allow loved ones and law enforcement to ask for firearms to be removed from individuals who are a danger to themselves or others. Two ideas frankly that 80% of Wisconsinites, including a majority of gun owners, they support it. I still refuse to believe that when our kids are murdered in their desks at school, that there is any party line that’s not worth crossing.

Frederica Freyberg:

Evers lamented inaction on the special session he called on background checks and red-flag laws.