Dave Zien: Now It's Conceal and Carry, What's Next, Drink and Drive ?

The guy on your left is the "brains" behind the conceal and carry bill. The following is an alert he's sent to pressure Democrats to override Gov. Doyle's veto.
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Alert from Senator Zien’s Office
Madison - 01.23.04

From Senator Zien’s Office:

Now that the Senate has successfully overridden Governor Doyle's veto of the Personal Protection Act, and the Assembly stands poised to attempt an override in the very near future, it is important to remember to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.

All the Senators and Assemblymen who voted for Senate Bill 214 did so because they believe that law-abiding citizens have the right to defend themselves against violent attack by criminals. These folks know concealed carry laws work well in 46 other states.

We should take this opportunity to recognize a number of Assemblymen who had the courage to buck their party's opposition to the right of self-defense, and vote for SB 214. The following Assembly Democrats should be commended for voting in favor of SB 214 on November 5, 2003:

Rep. Barbara Gronemus of Whitehall (888) 534-0091
Rep. Marlin Schneider of WI Rapids (is a cosponsor of SB 214) (888) 529-0072
Rep. Gary Sherman of Port Wing (is a cosponsor of SB 214)
Rep. John Steinbrink of Kenosha (608) 266-0455
Rep. Terry Van Akkeren of Sheboygan (608) 266-0656
Rep. Amy Sue Vruwink of Milladore (888) 534-0070
Rep. Wayne Wood of Janesville
............

These courageous Democrats will be under incredible pressure from Governor Doyle and their party leadership. We need to offer them thanks and encouragement in sticking to their beliefs with fierce integrity!

If you choose to express your undying gratitude to these courageous individuals, remember to be kind, courteous and thoughtful! See www.legis.state.wi.us for email addresses and phone numbers.

Senator Dave Zien
Chairman
Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections & Privacy
(608) 266-7511
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Other Democrats to contact to prevent the ridiculous bill from becoming law are:

Representative Terry Van Akkeren (608) 266-0656
rep.vanakkeren@legis.state.wi.us

Representative Mary Hubler (888) 534-0075
rep.hubler@legis.state.wi.us


If you think these people are "sticking to their beliefs with fierce integrity!" you may want to
consider their real motivation, fear of the NRA.

From: The Gun Guys

“Anyone that screws us on this legislation - Democrat or Republican, Assembly or Senate - the NRA is going to work unbelievably earnestly, taking no prisoners, on this next election cycle,” Zien said of the National Rifle Association.

Sen. Dave Zien Resorts to Bullying to Keep the WI CCW Bill Alive

The picture just keeps getting worse on the concealed weapons bill in Wisconsin. Earlier this morning, we reported that Rep. Scott Gunderson, who co-sponsored the “dangerous and unnecessary” legislation with Sen. Dave Zien, actually owns a gun and liquor store, and could very well be pushing this legislation just to increase his own bank account. It’s not like there’s any other good reasons for it, considering that the people of Wisconsin don’t want this bill, and the Governor and law enforcement feel the same way.

But now Gunderson’s “partner in crime” Dave Zien is showing off how classless he is as well. In this Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel overview of the bill, he spits out a quote that, at its best, is completely out of line. We’ve bolded it for you.

The Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Dave Zien (R-Eau Claire), said Wednesday that senators will take up the Assembly version of the bill in mid-January. Senators will not change the bill again, Zien said.

Zien said anyone who flipped their votes would risk being voted out of office next year.

“Anyone that screws us on this legislation - Democrat or Republican, Assembly or Senate - the NRA is going to work unbelievably earnestly, taking no prisoners, on this next election cycle,” Zien said of the National Rifle Association.

We’ve said “wow” a lot about these guys, but we’ll say it again: wow. That is out and out bullying. Threatening to take out “anyone that screws us”? What happened to cultured discussion? What happened to the grace and poise that we’d hope to expect from our elected leaders? Guess that all goes out the window when you start talking about the National Rifle Association.

And just what exactly is David Zien threatening? Last we checked, he worked for the citizens of the State of Wisconsin. Was he elected by the NRA or by American citizens? He’s supposed to be a state senator, but now he’s just plain attacking his fellow lawmakers like so many of the NRA’s “jackbooted thugs.”

This is too much. When they proposed a bill that no one wanted, we wondered what their reasoning was. When Scott Gunderson said that “people who hate this bill will be helped by it, and they won’t even know it,” we just laughed, because that’s ludicrous. When we learned he owned a store that sold both guns and alcohol, we just sighed. But now, when Dave Zien barks at his colleagues like an NRA lapdog, we’ve had enough. This concealed weapons bill is wrong, unsafe, and sponsored by what we can only guess are lunatics. If Wisconsin legislators have anyone in their ranks who isn’t subverted by the NRA and their bully tactics, they’ll uphold the Governor’s expected veto.

More: Legislation, NRA, Concealed Carry, Wisconsin

November 21, 2005