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Winona County committee discusses state change permitting rifles on public land, opts for education over local reversal
Summary
After hearing safety concerns from rural residents, Winona County commissioners in committee said they will not pursue immediate action to revert the state law allowing rifles on certain public lands; instead they urged public education on firearm safety and landowner posting practices.
The County committee discussed whether to take a formal position asking the state to revert a recent change that allows rifles on certain public lands. Commissioners described concerns from rural landowners about hunting safety and noted the emotional intensity of the issue.
Several commissioners recounted conversations with hunters and veterans and reviewed Wisconsin data cited at the meeting showing no uptick in shooting incidents after that state allowed rifles in similar circumstances. Commissioners observed most hunting incidents involve members of the same party or self‑inflicted injuries and said posting private land and establishing shared local rules are practical tools to manage risk.
The committee did not direct staff to file a resolution to change the law; instead members asked staff to document the board's positions to reduce public uncertainty, encouraged public education campaigns about firearm safety and landowner posting, and left the door open to revisit the matter if safety data suggests a problem.
What’s next: The board asked for public‑education outreach and for staff to record commissioners’ views so constituents have clear guidance; no formal resolution was scheduled.
