Lawmakers Seek Progress On Mental Health Proposals, But Divide On Guns Remains

Two lawmakers from western Wisconsin say they hope the Legislature will make progress soon with mental health issues including suicide prevention and a need for better mental health care across the state.

But they have some disagreement on what to do when mental health issues overlap with gun control laws in Wisconsin.

State Rep. Jesse James, R-Altoona, served on the state Assembly Task Force on Suicide Prevention. Bills have been drafted from the work of the task force that will eventually be considered by the Legislature.

“I think the biggest initiative that I see coming out of that is the Office of Suicide Prevention being created within the state. I think that would be two full-time positions that would specifically gear towards prevention, resourcing and education that would help everyone statewide.” James said. “Especially in the northern half of our state. Us northerners have the highest suicide rates in Wisconsin.”

James has proposed a bill as part of the suicide prevention task force known as the Gun Shop Project, a voluntary program that would allow gun shop owners in the state to accept guns from family members who believe the gun owner is a danger to themselves or the community.

“That puts the burden back on the communities. It puts the burden back on the families. We’re all human beings, we need to be accountable to each other,” he said. “What we‘ve learned from these mass shootings that have happened throughout the U.S. is that, after the fact, someone always comes out and says, ‘Oh, I knew that person was going to do that. They sent this text message to me,’ or ‘I‘ve seen them act like this.’ Somebody always knows something.“

State Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, said while he appreciates the proposal to allow gun shop owners to take back guns, it would only be voluntary. Smith is cosponsoring a proposal known as an extreme risk protection order, something Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Democrats have proposed as part of a special session next month that would deal with the gun reform laws.

“It’s not about breaking in, taking people’s weapons, which is unfortunately what the radical NRA (National Rifle Association) has been pushing their members about,” he said. “You have to have a family member and or law enforcement and go through a judge in order to be able to get that order and then peacefully confiscate weapons so that they don’t hurt themselves or others around them.”

James said he’s against the proposed extreme risk protection order because Wisconsin courts and law enforcement are already overburdened with work.

Smith and James have also aligned themselves with partisan plans aimed at providing more mental health beds and services to people who live in northern and western Wisconsin. They are also both willing to find some sort of compromise over the dueling bills.