Wisconsin Gun Retailers Could Receiving Training in Suicide Prevention Under New Bill

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023 -- 9:01 AM

(By Gaby Vinick, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin's gun retailers could receive training in suicide prevention and temporarily store firearms for people in crisis under a GOP-sponsored bill in the statehouse.

But, according to Gaby Vinick with Wisconsin Public Radio, details of how lawmakers would achieve that goal have become more complicated in recent weeks. Under earlier versions of the legislation, which received bipartisan support, the state health department would distribute $75,000 in grant funding to prevent gun suicides.

Those dollars would go toward sharing guidelines and training staff on how to avoid selling or renting guns to anyone considering suicide. The funding would also allow gun sellers to provide voluntary, temporary firearm storage for people in crisis.

Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Two Rivers, called the legislation "the brainchild" of Republican state Sen. Jesse James, who approached him with the hope to reduce the suicide rate in Wisconsin in a way he said would respect individuals' constitutional rights.

Sortwell argued it would make it easier for people on the frontlines to receive training to recognize signs of someone considering suicide and money to temporarily store a person's firearms when voluntarily surrendered. Research shows the majority of suicide attempts are impulsive.

But easy access to guns, the most lethal method, makes it more likely for people to die by suicide. Sortwell said the bill aims to give people a place to temporarily store firearms "so that while somebody is getting the help they need, while they're working through their personal problems, they don't have this temptation in the house," he said.

The Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, or WAVE, registered in favor of the legislation. Nick Matuszewski, policy and strategic partnerships manager of the gun violence prevention group, said the legislation is "a very promising first step."

He said in an ideal world, there would be more funding. But he said some lawmakers are hesitant to provide any.

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