Here & Now

Van Wanggaard Proposes Eliminating 48-Hour Wait On Gun Buys

Frederica:

More controversy to come at the Capitol when, next week, the Senate judiciary committee holds a public hearing on a proposal to eliminate the 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases in Wisconsin. The lead Senate sponsor is Van Wangaard of Racine. He joins us now. Senator, thanks very much for doing so.

Van Wangaard:

Thank you, Frederica. Good afternoon.

Frederica:

Well, now, this waiting period has been on the books for about 40 years.

Why do you want to eliminate it?

Van Wangaard:

Well, the waiting period came into effect back in 1976, and it was specifically to allow law enforcement to be able to do a thorough background check. Back then we were doing them, three by five cards. Now we have digital capability. They do a handgun hotline search and it works against 11 different databases which pings dozens more of databases. So we get instant checks back instantly now.

Frederica:

What about the argument, though, that it also serves as kind of a “cooling off period” in case someone wants to get a gun quickly to kill someone in the heat of some kind of criminal passion?

Van Wangaard:

Well, the American Medical Association and other organizations have found that there’s no correlation between the waiting period and those issues that occurred with physical violence. Generally, those are in the heat of passion, they occur pretty quickly and it’s usually whatever weapon is at hand is used to inflict that injury. So this cooling off period is specifically just for handguns just doesn’t make sense. We have homicides that occur with steak knives. It wouldn’t make sense to say we’re going to put a 48-hour waiting period on buying a set of steak knives from Kohls. That just doesn’t make sense. This is the same argument, I think.

Frederica:

As a former police officer, you feel that making it easier and faster to get guns, though, does make citizens safer?

Van Wangaard:

Well, I think it gives the victims of abuse and of crimes the ability to protect themselves. Yes, that’s one aspect of it. But, remember, this legislation strengthens the background check and the requirement for a background check. It still is going to require everybody to go through that background check, which is absolutely a thorough avenue to, I think, ensure that the individual can lawfully possess this handgun. And remember, in the state of Wisconsin it has been since 1976 that we’ve had this just for handguns. You can walk in, fill out the forms and you can have an instant check come back in less than a minute, and about 11% of them come back in less than a minute. You can pay your money and walk out the door with a shotgun or long gun. I mean, so this is only effective with handguns themselves.

For me, as an individual that can lawfully possess and carry, it doesn’t make sense that I should have to drive to purchase my firearm, then leave, then come back in a couple days to pick that firearm up. It puts me at a disadvantage for ownership of that firearm. And also puts the dealership at a disadvantage because now they have to stock it, and they have to record it, and they have to make sure it gets back in that person’s hand when they come through the door. And then there’s the victims, the ones that don’t have the opportunity to purchase that firearm and protect themselves from a threat that they have.

Frederica:

What about– some people suggest that there maybe ought to be an exception for domestic abusers who haven’t been convicted so that wouldn’t show up on their record in that background check, but they do have multiple arrests for it? What do you think of that exception?

Van Wangaard:

Well, actually, my understanding is when they do those checks, if you’ve got a history of domestic violence, that is going to be pinged and that will be something that will hold up the transfer of that firearm.

Frederica:

We’re speaking to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on this next, and he opposes it, but he asks when the legislature will deal with the private gun-show loophole and so-called “straw purchases” of guns?

Van Wangaard:

Well, those are actually two separate pieces of legislation. I did find out, though, that Mayor Barrett, when he was in the Legislature, he proposed increasing the waiting period, I believe it was to seven days, and, specifically, just for doing background checks. That was the only thing that was articulated. And now there’s no need for us to go through this extended period if that check comes back clear with all these different places it’s pinging. Is it still just does not make sense.

Frederica:

All right. Senator Van Wangaard, thanks very much for joining us on this.

Van Wangaard:

Thank you, Frederica.