Weekly Spotlight 11/3/25 – 11/9/25
Wisconsin Voters Reaffirm Concealed Carry — Lawmakers Should Listen
More than 15 years after Wisconsin legalized concealed carry, support for the right to bear arms in the Badger State continues to grow. A recent Marquette Law School poll found that 77 percent of registered voters back Wisconsin’s concealed carry permitting system – a striking bipartisan consensus. This broad support from across the political spectrum that the Second Amendment, and the responsible exercise of it by law-abiding citizens, has firmly entered the mainstream of Wisconsin politics.
This should serve as a clear directive to policymakers in Madison and Washington, D.C.: Americans want a system that upholds their constitutional right to self-defense while maintaining strong, transparent policies that promote safety and accountability. At a time when many legislators are pushing new so-called “gun control” measures, this is a reminder that their focus should instead be on enforcing the laws already on the books to improve public safety.
There are many ways to strengthen our current system. Lawmakers can keep permit fees reasonable and ensure transparent application processes that avoid unnecessary delays. They can expand access to quality training so new and renewing permit holders meet rigorous safety standards without excessive red tape. Finally, they can provide clear guidance on reciprocity to reduce confusion for lawful carriers traveling across state lines.
As this latest poll makes clear, Wisconsinites have demonstrated that responsible gun ownership and a strong safety culture are not in conflict. On the contrary, they reinforce one another. The bipartisan support reflected in Wisconsin echoes what we are seeing nationwide in terms of broad, bipartisan support for the fundamental right to self-defense. Policymakers would be wise to recognize this reality and advance policies that strengthen the right of self-defense.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Bloomberg Law (Delaware): Delaware’s Handgun Licensing Law Spurs Constitutional Challenge
Delaware’s “permit to purchase” regulations deprive individuals of their fundamental constitutional rights to keep and bear commonly used firearms, a collection of residents and gun rights groups assert. The licensing scheme has no historical support and unconstitutionally provides power to approve or reject applicants to an unelected state official based on “discretionary and vague criteria,” the plaintiffs alleged Monday. Their complaint asks the US District Court for the District of Delaware for an injunction barring enforcement of the law before it goes into effect Nov. 16.
POLITICO: America Is Bracing For Political Violence — And A Significant Portion Think It’s Sometimes OK
Most Americans expect political violence to keep growing in the United States and believe that it is likely a political candidate will be assassinated in the next few years. Widespread pessimism about political violence is a rare, grim point of consensus in a country riven by political and cultural divisions. A majority of Americans, 55 percent, expect political violence to increase, according to a new poll from POLITICO and Public First. That figure underscores just how much the spate of attacks — from the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this year to the attempts on President Donald Trump’s life in 2024 — have rattled the nation.
The Truth About Guns: Proposed Federal Measure Would Protect 2A Rights During Government Shutdowns
With the government shutdown now a month old, a bill recently introduced in the U.S. Senate is designed to protect Second Amendment rights during just such a shutdown. On October 30, U.S. Sen. Jay Risch, R-Idaho, introduced the Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act, which would require federal agencies to continue processing firearm applications and licenses despite a lapse in appropriations. During government shutdowns, federal agencies are limited in the work they can conduct.
Marijuana Moment: Gun Rights Groups Urge Supreme Court To Combine Cases On Marijuana Consumers’ Second Amendment Rights To Reach Fairer Ruling
A coalition of gun rights organizations is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to expand its examination of the constitutionality of a federal ban on firearm ownership by people who use marijuana—telling justices that a recent case on the issue it accepted would not properly settle the question of the current law’s constitutionality. After the Supreme Court granted cert in the case U.S. v. Hemani earlier this month—which the Trump administration had pushed for—the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and five other gun rights advocacy groups filed an amici brief on Wednesday in a separate case pending before the justices.
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