Not much impact for Wisconsin from U.S. Supreme Court gun rights ruling

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Wisconsin apparently won’t be affected much by Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gun rights.

The ruling struck down Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns. It confirmed that the right to keep and bear arms belongs to you, not just the government.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says the ruling prevents cities from using a big tool to fight gun violence.

Milwaukee is prohibited from banning handguns anyway because the state decided in the 1990s not to let any community have tougher gun laws than Wisconsin as a whole.

Also, Thursday’s ruling does not affect the state’s constitutional right to bear arms for “security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose.”

The ruling also has no bearing on Wisconsin’s law against concealed weapons.

Our state and Illinois are the only ones which still have those laws. But the Wisconsin Supreme Court has said people can pack hidden heat on their own land to protect it.

Retired law enforcement officers can also get permits for concealed carry but most police departments won’t give them out for fear they might be liable if a retired officer shoots somebody.

Tags: wisconsin, news, gun, rights