State attorney general urges caution with new gun control laws

State attorney general weighs in on gun control issue

MADISON -- Wisconsin's attorney general says it's a normal reaction to try to pass laws after a tragic event to try to prevent it from happening again. However, J.B. Van Hollen tells FOX6 News, lawmakers should look carefully to see if their proposals would actually help.

"Obviously I grieve for the families having two young children of my own. And it's a horrible tragedy. But I think it's too early to jump from grieving to the conclusion that the legislature can fix all the problems in our society," said Van Hollen in Madison on Tuesday, December 18th.

Van Hollen says legislation such as banning assault weapons and closing so-called loopholes in selling guns without background checks may not be the answer to a complicated issue.

"To call semi-automatic weapons assault weapons just because they resemble automatic weapons in their build is really unfortunate," said Van Hollen. "Because it's simply a semi-automatic weapon and where legislation would draw fine lines as to what they would ban and what they wouldn't I think could become a slippery slope."

Van Hollen says his 2013 budget includes money to boost the statewide intelligence center which would increase information and technology to track criminals.

"Things that will allow us to hopefully prevent mass tragedies from occurring if we can receive little bits of information from different places, to hopefully prevent terrorist attacks," said Van Hollen.

The attorney general says his goal in 2013 will be to protect children; this time against sex crimes and human trafficking.

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