A lobbyist for the National Rifle Association told the Wisconsin legislative committee today that guns were one of the great equalizers for “the blacks” after emancipation at a hearing on a Wisconsin bill that proposes lifting permit and training requirements to carry concealed weapons.
Hearings in front of a Senate judiciary committee are underway on the so-called “Right to Carry Act” proposed by Sen. David Craig and Rep. Mary Felzkowski, both Republicans, in March.
The NRA-supported measure, “removes barriers to the exercise of a constitutional right and simplifies the law,” Sen. Craig said in a release. “If you decide to carry a weapon to protect yourself or your family, you should be able to do so easily — without bureaucratic hurdles and without cost.”
Meyer appeared before the state Senate’s judiciary committee during a public hearing on a Republican bill today. He said that the cost of training can prevent minorities from obtaining concealed carry licenses, and added that guns were one of the great equalizers for “the blacks” after emancipation.
Milwaukee Sen. Lena Taylor told Meyer calling African Americans “the blacks” doesn’t help cultural diversity.
Right now, anyone who carries concealed must obtain a permit and get training. The Republican bill unveiled in March that would do away with those requirements. The bill also would create a new permit for carrying concealed weapons on school grounds unless the school has prohibited the practice. That permit would require a background check but no training.
