Here & Now

Tom Barrett On Bill Nixing 48-Hour Wait For Gun Purchases

Frederica:

Governor Scott Walker says eliminating the waiting period for hand-guns will help Wisconsin become a leader in freedom issues. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett worries for his city, where gun violence is rampant. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett joins us from Milwaukee to share his concerns about a proposal at the State Capitol that would repeal Wisconsin's 48-hour-wait-to-purchase a hand gun. He joins us from Milwaukee, and, Mayor, thanks for doing so.

Tom Barrett:

Happy to be with you.

Frederica:

So, how would eliminating the 48-hour wait period make your city more dangerous?

Tom Barrett:

I think it’s first important to note that this is an issue in search of a presidential campaign.

This is just another example of Governor Walker taking the state of Wisconsin, and preparing an issue that he can present to a national audience.

In just about a month, in mid-April, he’s going to go to Nashville for the NRA national convention. He wants to take this issue, and tell the throngs there that he has eliminated the waiting period in the state of Wisconsin.

So, even though it’s been in the state for decades and there’s no problem, this is just another example of him using the state of Wisconsin for his presidential campaign.

It’s wrong. It hurts this community.

The real issue is what is the legislature and governor going to do about the violence we have here?

This does nothing to address the issues of violence that we have in the city of Milwaukee.

In fact, it’s going to make it worse, because there are no surprise hunting seasons in the state of Wisconsin.

No one is clamoring to have this 48-hour waiting period removed.

If it’s so easy to have these background checks done instantaneously, then the legislature should move to close the gun show loophole and have background checks for everybody, including people who purchase guns at gun shows–loopholes– or from trunks of cars.

Because those oftentimes are the guns that come to the city of Milwaukee.

Frederica:

How would getting rid of the waiting period, you know, affect the violence in your city?

Tom Barrett:

I actually look at the waiting period dealing more with issues of domestic violence.

We have seen, time and time again, where you have a husband–usually– who is mad and gets out and gets a gun, or you may have a drug dealer. So, it goes beyond drug violence, where you have an individual who says, “I’m going to pay somebody back, I’m so mad, I’m gonna go get a gun and I’m going to take care of that business right now.

And that’s what happens. It happens in domestic situations. It happens in drug situations.

But, again, there’s no reason to get rid of it, other than to give him something to say to the NRA Convention. That’s what this is all about, 100%.

Frederica:

Now, on the other side, they suggest that the waiting period is bad just for someone in a domestic violence situation where perhaps the female victim needs that gun to protect herself.

What about those instances, where if she had to wait for 48 hours, that could put her in danger?

Tom Barrett:

I think we all recognize if someone’s in that situation, they need more than that.

They need the judicial system.

They need the police to be there.

But to have people solve their domestic problems with guns?

What are we talking about here?

Is that what we want to be?

Do we want to be a state where people solve their domestic problems with guns?

That’s not the Wisconsin that I know.

Frederica:

Now people who pass the background check, which is now, apparently, pretty quick, are clearly likely not the cause of most gun violence in your city?

Tom Barrett:

Again, what’s so ironic about this is that if the legislature is making the argument that the background checks are happening so quickly that they are not involved in the problems we have, then why don’t they simply extend the background check for the private sales? What’s the problem then?

The problem, of course, is then you would get rid of those situations where people sell guns and they don’t care where they go. They don’t care if they’re selling guns to felons. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to keep guns out of the hands of felons. I’m trying to keep the guns out of the hands of usually angry men who want to take things out on their wives. That’s what I want to prevent.

And the legislature doesn’t seem to be interested in those two issues whatsoever.

They don’t seem to care about the domestic violence ramifications or the guns that are getting into the city that are traveling here because they were purchased privately.

Frederica:

Now, on another matter, as you know, republicans just passed the right to work bill, and they also call that an issue of freedom.

Back in 2012 during the recall election, you said, Mark my words. Scott walker will sign right to work,” even as he said it would never happen. How did you know that then?

Tom Barrett:

Because I understand what’s going on here. Again, now we can see it. We saw on right to work. We see it on issues affecting women and their reproductive rights.

We see it on guns. Every one of these issues, he is using the state of Wisconsin as a way to burnish his credentials with the far Right in this country.

This has nothing to do with government in Wisconsin or the people of Wisconsin. This is all about pleasing people who are going to vote in the Iowa caucuses next January or February. And it’s unfortunate that now the state is simply really part of this whole plan that he has to become the republican nominee.

And to do that, he’s got to push this state as far Right as he can.

So, unfortunately, we had a period in our state where we had the progressive era.

Clearly, right now, we are in the regressive era so he can get more backing to become the republican nominee to run for president.

Frederica:

We leave it there. Mayor Tom Barrett, thanks very much.

Tom Barrett:

Thank you.