The Sconi

A bill introduced in the U.S. House that will require citizens to undergo psychological evaluations, complete a certified training course and have insurance policies before owning firearms has drawn criticism from the head of a Wisconsin gun owners group.

The legislation, HR 127, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) would also prohibit the possession of certain ammunition and large magazines.

The bill will ban ammunition for any shotguns larger than a .410, Thomas Leager, executive director the nonprofit group Wisconsin Gun Owners Inc. told The Sconi.

“The .410 is the smallest shotgun caliber you can get,” Leager said. “The most common shotguns are the 20-guage and 12-gauge, which are both above .50 in their caliber, which would make them illegal.”

The legislation, “Right away would turn millions of Americans into felons,” he said.

Penalties for breaking the law would be stiffer than those for most violent felons, Leager said.

“It’s completely outrageous,” he said. “They are trying to ban any magazine that has a capacity of more than 10 rounds. That’s most magazines. Most of your basic handguns, they’re like 12, 13,14, 15 rounds.”

Leager believes the legislation was prompted by the Jan. 6 protest at the U.S. Capitol.

“Conservatives went into the Capitol when they shouldn’t have so now they are going to turn millions of people into felons,” he said. “This bill seems like a vindictive signal that this regime is going to express extreme hostility to gun owners.”

Following violent protests over the summer in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer, gun sales have soared, Leager said.

The mandatory psychological tests, “seems great but will dissuade people from getting mental health help,” he noted.

“You wouldn’t ban somebody with cancer from owning guns,” he added. “It’s not their fault that they have cancer. Nor is it the person’s fault who is having some mental anguish. We should be encouraging them to get help, not dissuading them by taking away their Second Amendment rights.”

The bottom line is that the bill will “make it very, very hard to get any firearms at all,” Leager said. “I don’t know if this is going to pass but I do think they plan to pass something like it.”