‘Second Amendment Sanctuary’ Bill Passes Wisconsin Senate, Heads To Governor’s Desk

The Wisconsin State Senate sent a bill Wednesday to the desk of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

The 2021 Assembly Bill 293 will add “restrictions on enforcing federal laws regulating firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition, the use of public resources to confiscate firearms” and enforce those restrictions with “a penalty.”

The bill requires gun manufacturers in the state to “clearly” engrave the words “Made in Wisconsin” on a “central metal part” of their products. In cases where there is no space for such a stamp, gunsmiths can engrave an abbreviated version, the bill’s text states. (RELATED: Biden Dismisses Idea You Need Guns To Protect Yourself From Government)

Additionally, the legislation deems it unlawful for a person to enforce any “federal act, law, statute, rule, regulation, treaty, or order” coming into force on or after Jan. 1 that “bans or restricts semi-automatic firearms, assault weapons, or magazines; requires registration of firearms, magazines, or other firearm accessories; regulates the capacity of magazines; regulates the quantity of ammunition or bullets an individual.”

National Rifle Association members look over guns in the Barrett display at the 146th NRA Annual Meetings Exhibits on April 29, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The bill bans state agencies and local authorities “from expending moneys or using other resources” to confiscate lawfully-owned firearms.

Supporters of the bill say it will make Wisconsin a “Second Amendment sanctuary,” according to USA Today. However, questions surrounding the legislation’s constitutionality arise as similar bills in other states have reportedly been considered unconstitutional because federal laws cannot be overridden by state laws.

Passed by the state legislature through a voice vote, the bill faces one major hurdle — the state’s Democratic governor.

Evers is expected to veto the bill, being someone who has called for more firearm oversight, according to the Associated Press and USA Today. The governor has reportedly supported mandatory background checks for all gun buyers and temporary seizures of weapons by police for those believed to be a threat.

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