Bill Calling for Increased Background Checks Circulating in State Assembly

• A bill that would call for increased background checks on the sale or transfer of guns is circulating in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

A person purchasing a gun currently has to undergo a background check if they buy through a federally licensed firearms dealer. Private sales, gun show purchases, and guns given as gifts or won in contests don’t require a background check. The new bill would prohibit someone from selling or transferring a gun without going through a federally licensed firearms dealer, thus requiring a background check.

“This is the piece of legislation that we’ve been trying for here in Wisconsin for many years, so we’re obviously really glad to see it,” said Jeri Bonavia, executive director of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort.

State assembly representative Garey Bies did not return phone calls about this issue.

• The Door County Board of Supervisors and the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department will be working together to upgrade the county’s emergency paging system.

The fire department applied for and expects to receive a $1.125 million grant from FEMA to install a simulcast paging system. The grant also provides for the purchase of additional towers and equipment that would be placed throughout the county.