MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican lawmakers started circulating a invoice Thursday that may designate a lever-action rifle produced in northwestern Wisconsin because the state’s official rifle.

The invoice from state Reps. Dave Armstrong, Treig Pronschinske and James Edming and Sen. Romaine Quinn would designate the Henry All-Climate .45-70 as Wisconsin’s official state rifle.

The invoice is symbolic solely. The state rifle designation wouldn’t power anybody to buy or use the weapon. However it will give the rifle and its producer, Rice Lake-based Henry Repeating Arms, loads of publicity and assist the invoice’s authors rating factors with gun supporters.

Armstrong is from Rice Lake; Quinn is from Cameron, about seven miles (12 kilometers) south of Rice Lake. Edming’s district consists of Ladysmith, house to a Henry Repeating Arms manufacturing facility.

The corporate’s Massive Boy All-Climate Rifle received the Wisconsin Producers and Commerce’s “Coolest Factor Made in Wisconsin” contest in 2019. Wisconsin Producers and Commerce is the state’s largest enterprise affiliation and a staunch Republican ally.

Pronschinske, who hails from Mondovi in west-central Wisconsin, stated the invoice is a approach to acknowledge a Wisconsin firm and the state’s manufacturing sector in addition to honor the state’s looking traditions.

“The good half about this invoice is that it merely honors a longstanding custom that many Wisconsinites take pleasure in,” he stated. “One thing that pays homage to many generations of hunters is on no account political and shouldn’t be framed as such.”

Armstrong declined remark. Quinn and Edming didn’t instantly return messages.

At the least 9 different states, together with Alaska, Arizona and Texas, have designated official state firearms, in response to the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation. North Dakota lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a proposal to make the Winchester Mannequin 1876 rifle that state’s official firearm. One of many Legislature’s handful of American Indian members, Democrat Jayme Davis, complained that the rifle was used to wipe out buffalo within the 1800s, robbing indigenous individuals of a key useful resource.

State Sen. Chris Larson, a Milwaukee Democrat, scoffed on the invoice. His metropolis has been grappling with a pointy uptick in homicides for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic started and weapons have been the weapon of alternative.

In response to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel database, about 200 individuals have been killed within the metropolis in every of the final three years. Ninety % of the victims final 12 months and in 2021 had been shot; 79% of the victims in 2020 had been shot.

“Are you kidding me?” Larson stated of the invoice. “Why? Why? You understand, there are mounting issues in our communities that persons are dealing with. It appears foolish that we’re attempting to go down a path of attempting to designate issues which are simply bumper-sticker indicators to a base.”

Heidi Johnson, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, stated that in gentle of Wisconsin’s “devastating ranges” of gun violence, naming a state gun must be the least of lawmakers’ considerations.

Selecting the Henry All-Climate .45-70 because the official gun highlights the Legislature’s lack of curiosity in preserving individuals secure provided that the corporate recalled sure .45-70 lever actions earlier this month, Johnson added.

The corporate posted the recall on its web site on March 10 for Henry All-Climate .45-70s produced between late December and early January, saying the weapons can go off with out anybody pulling the set off because of firing pins that won’t meet specs.

The corporate warned all customers of Henry lever motion .45-70s to cease utilizing them till they decided whether or not they had been manufactured throughout the recall window.

Nobody instantly responded to an electronic mail The Related Press left within the firm’s normal inbox after hours Thursday. A message left with the corporate’s answering service wasn’t instantly returned.

The GOP legislators are in search of co-sponsors to signal on by March 24. Aides to Meeting Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Chief Devin LeMahieu didn’t instantly reply to emails inquiring in regards to the invoice’s prospects.

Britt Cudaback, a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, additionally didn’t instantly reply to an electronic mail asking if the governor would help the measure, nevertheless it seems unlikely that Evers would signal the invoice into legislation if it will get to him.

The governor known as a particular legislative session in 2019 to cross payments creating common background checks on gun purchasers and to permit judges to disarm individuals deemed to be a menace. Republicans gaveled in and gaveled out inside seconds with out taking any motion on the measures.

Final 12 months, Evers vetoed a set of GOP payments that may have expanded hid carry rights.