Madison, WI – State Representative Ty Bodden (R-Stockbridge) issued the following statement regarding Senate Bill 466, a bill prohibiting firearms merchant category codes in payment card transactions, prohibiting government lists of firearm owners, and creating a penalty for violations.
“People’s privacy and their 2nd Amendment rights are worth protecting at all costs. I’m proud to have introduced this legislation, which passed in the Assembly today. This proactive measure aims to prevent entities from tracking individuals based on purchases made at firearm retail stores, safeguarding citizens from potential unwarranted surveillance.
“The bill is crucial in preventing the establishment of a concerning precedent where financial institutions become tools for tracking citizens’ purchases. Unless there is a justifiable reason supported by a warrant, citizens should not be subject to government tracking, as it would infringe upon several constitutional rights. Gun rights are a top issue for the people of the 59th Assembly District and the people of Wisconsin, and I was sent here to ensure that people’s gun rights are not compromised.”
This bill prohibits a financial institution, as part of a payment card transaction, from requiring the use of a merchant category code that identifies the merchant as a firearms retailer. The bill also provides that the Department of Justice (DOJ) may not maintain a list of firearm purchasers based on information from background checks that DOJ performs and that no governmental entity may maintain a list of firearm owners. The bill forces the Attorney General to enforce the prohibitions created in this bill.
“This legislation will ensure that those who purchase firearms at a firearm retail store cannot be tracked by using their card.”
The 59th Assembly District includes portions of Calumet, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and Washington Counties including the communities of Stockbridge, New Holstein, Mount Calvary, St. Cloud, Taycheedah, Campbellsport, Kewaskum, Allenton & Hartford.
