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Walker won't take side on gun control bills

MADISON — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker refused to say Wednesday whether he will support proposals in the Legislature to ban assault rifles and the sale of high damage ammunition following the deadly Connecticut school shooting.

However, Walker said in an interview with The Associated Press that he is open to using GPS monitoring to track people who are under restraining orders. And he wants to convene a meeting of mental health experts early in the year to discuss what can be done to ensure people are getting adequate treatment.

"There seems to be a real serious concern about mental health status," Walker said. "To me that seems to be a larger issue."

There has been a nationwide call, primarily among Democrats led by President Barack Obama, for tighter gun control laws following the shooting of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newton, Conn. But Walker and Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature have been more hesitant to call for quick changes to gun laws.

Issues around mass shootings, including two earlier this year in Wisconsin, are complicated and can't be quickly solved, said Walker, who has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association and received its highest A-plus rating.

"I want to be careful that we're not forcing a solution to something that's maybe more complicated than just a specific piece of legislation," Walker said.

Democratic state Rep. Fred Kessler, who is proposing the assault weapons ban and other changes, said he's not surprised that Walker isn't enthusiastic about banning assault rifles or hollow-point bullets. But Kessler said he hoped Walker would get behind his proposal to require a mental health evaluation before someone is issued a concealed weapon.