Wisconsin: Update on Castle Doctrine and Micro-stamping Hearings

Last week, two bills had public hearings in Wisconsin.  The Committee on Personal Privacy held a public hearing on our Castle Doctrine bill, AB 193.  Many NRA Members turned out to participate in the public hearing and show their support for the bill.  AB 193 has been referred to a subcommittee to address concerns brought up in committee regarding the scope of the bill.  AB 193 would allow a person to defend themselves in their residence and includes a prohibition on civil lawsuits from criminals, or their families, who are injured while committing a crime. 

The second hearing held by the Committee on Criminal Justice was to discuss a possible micro-stamping bill.  The hearing was widely attended, with the majority of attendees speaking against the proposed bill.  There were, however, a handful of proponents, including a patent holder of “microstamping” technology and few law enforcement officials.  The committee members did a great job of questioning these proponents as to the necessity and benefits of implementing a technology that has been consistently proven expensive and unreliable.  At this time no formal bill has been filed in support of this issue.

Please continue checking your email and www.NRAILA.org for further updates on these bills.