Signed: Knife Rights' Wisconsin Knife Law Reform Bill

Editor's Note: Today, a piece of good news from Wisconsin from our friends at Knife Rights.

Knife Rights' Wisconsin Knife Law Reform Bill including Knife Law Preemption, AB 142, was signed on Saturday [February 6] by Governor Scott Walker. Wisconsin is the eleventh state in which Knife Rights has repealed a switchblade ban and the tenth in which we have passed Knife Law Preemption. The law goes into effect as soon as it is officially published, which is expected to occur this week.

The signing ceremony was held during the annual meeting of Wisconsin FORCE, the state NRA affiliate. Wisconsin FORCE and Executive Director Jeff Nass played a critical role in passage of the bill and Knife Rights is appreciative of their support for our efforts to forge a Sharper Future for all Americans.

At the signing, Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter presented Governor Walker with a Pro-Tech TR-4 automatic (switchblade) knife specially engraved with the state seal and his name and dedication during the signing ceremony. (Photo of the presentation courtesy of Knife Rights.)

Speaking of the new law he was signing, and echoing Ritter's statement that Knife Rights is the Second Front in Defense of the Second Amendment, the governor said, "Wisconsin citizens have the fundamental right to defend themselves and feel safe and secure in their homes and we remain committed to protecting those rights."

Bill sponsors Representative Kathleen Bernier and Senator Terry Moulton received specially engraved Allen Elishewitz designed Hogue EX-A01 automatic knives in recognition of their efforts to get this bill passed. Present at the signing was Travis Hakes (standing behind Gov. Walker in photo above), a law enforcement officer and owner of Trigger Control LLC, who first brought the issue of the state's switchblade ban to the attention of Rep. Bernier. He also received one of the Hogue EX-A01 autos to honor his help in providing the spark that ignited the limited legislation which after hard lobbying by Knife Rights and our friends and resulting amendments eventually resulted in full knife law reform in Wisconsin.

AB 142 removes all restrictions on switchblades (automatic) knives and concealed carry of all knives from Wisconsin statutes with the single exception that a person who is prohibited under state law from possessing a firearm may also not go armed with a concealed knife that is a "dangerous weapon."

Despite some erroneous reports to the contrary, there is no restriction in the statute as to who can now buy, own and carry an automatic knife in Wisconsin. Because the legislature insisted on retaining a limit on concealed carry by a prohibited person, there is some ambiguity as to what knives such a person can carry concealed. What type knife or knives are considered a "dangerous weapon" with respect to the prohibited person restriction is not defined in statute.

The Knife Law Preemption aspect of AB 142 repeals and prevents local ordinances more restrictive than state law which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state. Preemption ensures citizens can expect consistent enforcement of state knife laws everywhere in a state.

AB 142 retains political subdivisions' ability to "[prohibit] the possession of a knife in a building, or part of a building, that is owned, occupied, or controlled by the political subdivision."

Knife Rights passed the nation's first Knife Law Preemption bill in Arizona in 2010 and has since passed preemption bills in Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Knife Rights has repealed knife bans in Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

Thanks to Pro-Tech Knives and Hogue for their donation of automatic knives for the signing ceremony.

Republished from The Outdoor Wire.