Act 35 at 15: A Victory for Liberty We Must Never Stop Defending

Published in the Antigo Daily Journal, Bloomer Advance, Spooner Advocate, and Wausau Pilot & Review

As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Wisconsinites have another victory for liberty to remember: 15 years ago, on July 8th, Governor Walker signed Act 35 into law, making Wisconsin the 49th state to legalize licensed concealed carry.

Since 2011, Wisconsin’s concealed carry law has opened the door for hundreds of thousands of residents to carry concealed firearms and defend themselves and others. This is not only a fundamental right that must be protected, it is an important safeguard in a free and civil society. 

Here in Wisconsin, our brave men and women of law enforcement are beginning to rebound from a decades’ long decline in their ranks. This is an encouraging sign for our state. However, even the strongest, most robust police force can’t be everywhere at all times. For this reason, public safety works best when citizens take personal responsibility rather than relying entirely on the government for their protection.

From America’s largest cities—where crime has risen as left-wing judges have released violent offenders back onto the streets—to small towns struggling with drug trafficking, addiction, and crime after their manufacturing jobs left, Americans should always be empowered to stop an imminent threat to themselves or their communities. The fact that one of the Democratic candidates for Governor is toting an unhinged proposal to abolish prisons further underscores the importance of concealed carry in Wisconsin, and our elected officials must do everything in their power to secure and expand law-abiding citizens’ right to bear arms. 

That is why, if elected to represent Wisconsin’s 7th District in Congress, one of my first acts will be to co-sponsor H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This bill would allow Wisconsinites to carry concealed firearms in any state where either constitutional carry or licensed concealed carry is recognized—effectively all 50 states—because our rights should not end where a new state line begins.

Second, I will introduce legislation to defund the ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order) Resource Center and other federal efforts to support red flag laws. This program, run by the anti-2A John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, was established by Biden’s DOJ using grant funds authorized by Congress in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, which provided resources for "state crisis intervention programs," specifically including red flag law initiatives.

Red flag laws are an egregious infringement on our Second and Fourth Amendment rights. Yet, due to a number of Republicans who supported the measure, liberal academics are now using taxpayer dollars to promote these disastrous policies in states across the country. As a constitutional conservative, I will work hard to stop these initiatives in their tracks and ensure they never gain a foothold in Wisconsin.

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the right to bear arms was a founding principle of our nation rebelling against a tyrannical government. Today, America’s bloated federal bureaucracy and its proponents on the Left more closely resemble a tyrant who wants obedient subjects than our founders who valiantly fought for liberty. They will seize every opportunity to restrict gun ownership and create new obstacles for responsible citizens seeking to purchase firearms.

It is the duty of every generation to protect our constitutional liberties, which requires constant vigilance against all attempts to undermine them—either within the federal bureaucracy or in legislation. In Congress, I will strongly stand for our Second Amendment rights and all of our fundamental freedoms, never backing down to the anti-gun lobbyists and loud voices on the Left who believe less freedom and more government control is the solution to nearly every problem. I humbly ask for your vote in the Republican primary on August 11.