WI joins NRA in fight against law regarding handguns and young adults

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The National Rifle Association is challenging a federal law that makes it illegal for federally licensed dealers to sell handguns to young adults. 22 states, including Wisconsin, back the NRA in its Supreme Court battle against the Feds. Attorneys General from those states support lifting an age requirement that restricts adults from buying handguns.

A person's age and right to bear arms is at the center of a nationwide debate.

"We consider an 18-year-old an adult. They can go to war. They can defend this country. They can buy a house. They can buy a car. They can get married," Jeff Nass, the Executive Director for Wisconsin Force said.

However, the law says 18 year olds cannot buy a handgun from a federally licensed dealer.

Nass is part of Wisconsin Force, a branch of the NRA that sees federal handgun laws to be inconsistent.

"In Wisconsin right now an 18-year-old can own a sidearm, they just can't buy it from a federally licensed dealer. They can't buy it from an FFL," Nass said.

Now, the NRA, with backing from Attorneys General from 22 states wants to allow those between the ages of 18 and 20 to be able to buy handguns from federally licensed dealers.

However, Paul Geenen with Organizing for Action, a group that supports things like universal background checks for gun ownership, says more guns on the street is not the right thing to do.

"To me, this seems to be a small problem and we've got so many big problems. That's what surprised me. Is this going to solve anything? Not my way of thinking," Geenen said.

While Geenen says he is not opposed to the fight by the NRA, he feels it should focus its attention elsewhere.

"Why are they working on this with all of the people being killed in the city of Milwaukee and help us out with those problems? It seems a little elitist," Geenen said.

Meanwhile, the NRA feels all adults, not just those over the age of 21, should be allowed to exercise their Constitutional right.

Even though an 18-year-old cannot legally purchase a handgun from a federally licensed dealer, he or she can purchase one legally through private sales -- known as the gun show loophole.

Organizing for Action is still pushing for universal background checks on all guns sales, but the NRA is against it.