I have inner-city moms who contact me asking how they can carry while walking their kids to school without committing a felony. This makes consistent carry impractical for many moms and guardians whose day starts and ends with a trip to school. If a mother, father, or grandparent drives one foot onto the school driveway to pick up kids from school with their concealed carry gun with them they are committing a felony. School Grounds Carry: Right now, in Wisconsin, if a CCL holder out walking their kids on a weekend stroll steps one foot on school grounds armed, they are committing a felony. Elected Republicans CAN provide safety for urban and suburban voters by making concealed carry more attainable and more practicable. Elected Republicans ‘tough-on-crime’ policies are more symbolism than substance because local DAs and Judges drive the criminal justice system and can side-step new legislation. This changing face of concealed carry presents an opportunity for Republicans to appeal to demographics that traditionally voted Democrat, but would likely consider a republican candidate who offered the real chance to make them safer. People who never before considered a firearm for personal protection have changed their minds. Citizens are collateral damage in the democrat’s failed social-justice crime experiment. Starting with the riots of 2020 and extending to today, the realization Milwaukee and Madison’s soft-on-crime criminal justice system treats law-abiding citizens like criminals and criminals like victims, and uses the streets as a jail, resulting in a flood of concern from urban and suburban women for their safety and ability to protect their children. Ask anyone who works at a retail gun store for confirmation. Women and minorities are the new face of concealed carry. What is the “gun vote” in 2023?įor the past 5 years, most attendees of our Milwaukee area classes are non-white, non-male. Because a majority of this demographic is already voting “R“, Madison Republicans think they already have “the gun vote” in the bag, much like Democrats assume “the black vote” is secured. This is a 1990-2010 understanding of “the gun vote” and is as dated as Scott Walker’s Kohl’s sweater vest. It’s my observation most Republican legislators as well as political consultants who run campaigns for Republicans in Wisconsin think the “gun vote” is a bunch of Generation X and Baby Boomers who hunt, fish, and would likely be found at a Pheasants Forever or Ducks Unlimited banquet. Attending some classes myself and reviewing the class registration data gives me a unique insight into the changing face of concealed carry and “the gun vote” in Wisconsin. Since that time over 20,000 people have attended our classes. began offering free concealed carry license (CCL) classes after Wisconsin passed Act 35 in 2011.

I’ll stay in my lane and discuss the crime and personal safety issues. This is especially frustrating when you realize on arguably the most important issues to metropolitan and suburban women voters (crime, personal safety, the woke war on women, kids and girls’ sports, school choice, immigration) the Republican platform issues are supported by all but the 30% deep blue democrat base. Unfortunately, election losses, turning off freedom-minded conservatives, suppressing enthusiasm for Republican candidates leaving them asking themselves why they bother to vote, volunteer, and donate “R” is the only accomplishment. For the past decade, Republicans, as a caucus, in Madison seem to think throwing taxpayer money at issues and trying their level best to be “Democrat Lite” is the way to peel off enough ‘swing voter’ support to win. I couldn’t agree more.įor many conservative voters, when they hear Republicans talk about courting Milwaukee and Dane County, it sends shivers down their spine (with good reason). In a recent column for WRN, Brandon Maly suggested that winning back Wisconsin’s blue areas was the path to victory for Republicans in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin time zone now