(WTAQ-WLUK) — Making its way through the Wisconsin legislature this session is SB12; a bill that, if it becomes law, would offer a tax break to those buying a gun safe.
“Nobody can argue that having a gun safe for a gun owner is not a good thing, so I see this as a very positive step,” says Mike Shea, the owner of the Family Shooting Academy in Bellevue.
More specifically, the bill would make a sales and use tax exemption on gun safe sales.
“What I like about this bill is it showing a definitive shift in the way people are thinking about guns. This bill is focusing on gun safety instead of gun control. It’s focusing on encouraging people to do something versus trying to force them to do something.”
The bill originated in Republican Van Wanggaard’s office, a senator from the Racine area. In a statement last month, Wanggaard said the measure is ‘common sense.’
This is a common sense measure to enhance gun safety. It helps people secure their weapons when they wish. I’ve been working on this bill for 10 years, and I hope that this is the year we get it across the finish line.
The bill is seeing bipartisan support, too. Of the 10 senators who helped introduce the bill, four are Democrats.
“I think the general public has made it clear they want us to be doing something in Madison regarding gun safety,” says Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim, a Democrat representing Appleton.
“This is a piece of what was part of legislation last session that was entered that never got a hearing, I think this piece does make sense, it’s a small step forward but in order to entice people to entice people to use safer products, to have gun safes to keep our guns locked up, I think it’s a valid thing to do so I’m happy to work bipartisanly to support it,” she says.
Dassler-Alfheim says there’s still plenty more work to be done when it comes to gun safety, but this is step one, and there’s no reason to stand in the way of legislation like this.
“Anything we can do to deter guns from getting in the hands of the wrong people is a good choice, I think there’s plenty of evidence to that,” she adds.
“You know, gun safes are kind of expensive, [this would] kind of encourage people to buy them maybe a little bit more,” says Arlyn Bradley, who owns Bradley Gun Sales in Denmark.
In his experience, most people coming into his gun shop already have their minds made up on whether they’ll spend on a gun safe, so he’s unsure just how much it will incentivize some people. But for those who want one, he says it would be a nice gesture for state gun owners and supports the idea.
“Even if it saves a few people getting shot it would definitely help. It’s definitely not a cure-all for everything but it’s a step in the right direction,” he adds.
The bill will go to a public hearing before legislators discuss it and decide whether to move it forward but they believe it should have no problems.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers expressed his support for the bill in January.
“We do it. We do it in a nanosecond. See, that’s a good example,” said Evers. “There are things out there that aren’t a threat to the Second Amendment. So, let’s do it,” Evers replied.
