Milwaukee County Gun Registration

Senate Bill 148, introduced by State Senator Spencer Coggs (D-6th) would require all persons residing in Milwaukee County to register their firearms with the DOJ, regardless of where the firearm is kept.

This bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Young, Fields, Sinicki, Toles, Turner, Berceau, A., Williams and Kessler.

Here is the summary of the Bill:

2005 SENATE BILL 148
March 29, 2005 − Introduced by Senator COGGS, cosponsored by Representatives YOUNG, FIELDS, SINICKI, TOLES, TURNER, BERCEAU, A. WILLIAMS and KESSLER.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
AN ACT to create 175.36 of the statutes; relating to: requiring registration of firearms owned by Milwaukee County residents and providing a penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires an individual who resides in Milwaukee County and who owns a firearm to report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) the individual’s name and address, the manufacturer, model, and serial number of the firearm, and any other identifying characteristic of the firearm specified by DOJ. When ownership of a firearm is transferred from or to a Milwaukee County resident, the resident must report the transfer of ownership to DOJ. The bill requires DOJ to maintain a registry of this firearms ownership information. DOJ must keep the information in the registry confidential, except that DOJ may release information to a law enforcement officer who is investigating a crime that involves a firearm. The firearms reporting requirements apply to handguns, rifles, shotguns, and machine guns, regardless of where in the state they are located, but not to firearms designed to fire loose black power, firearms manufactured before 1899, or firearms that cannot be fired and cannot readily be restored to firing condition. An individual who violates the reporting requirements may be fined not more than $1,000 or jailed for not more than nine months or both.

As we know from history, once there is a gun registry, confiscation follows. Look at Hitler’s Germany, look at England, look at California when in the late 1990’s ordered the confiscation of SKS and “assault rifles” (whatever they are) which by California law were previously registered.

Apparently this proposed legislation is in response to the recent shooting by the man from New Berlin. Well, would this legislation have stopped that crime? Will this legislation stop future crimes? Will this legislation serve as anything other than a precursor to confiscating guns in Milwaukee County?

The answer to all these questions is a resounding “No”!

Want to know the really neat thing about firearms registration? In Haynes vs. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1968 ruled 7-1 that compelling registration by those who may not lawfully possess firearms amounts to a violation of the Fifth Amendment's proscription against forced self-incrimination. In other words, the court said that if someone "realistically can expect that registration [of a firearm] will substantially increase the likelihood of his prosecution," the registration requirement is unconstitutional.

Neat, huh?