Wisconsin legislators opened their e-mail inboxes yesterday and were shocked and appalled to find a threatening e-mail concerning the possible historic override of Gov. Jim Doyle's veto of the concealed carry bill.
State Capitol Police Capt. Marc Schmidt said the same threatening e-mail was sent to approximately 30 different people, all state representatives.
The text of the e-mail read: \Don't you think the passage of the concealed weapons bill statistically increases the chances of your being assassinated?""
The Assembly has scheduled the override vote for Tuesday.
State Rep. Mark Miller, D-Monona, said he did not receive any threatening e-mails but has heard about the situation. He says he feels extremely disturbed that people take these issues so seriously they have to resort to threatening lives. He also expressed disappointment that this would happen in Wisconsin.
""We are a democracy, we can engage in strong debate without having to resort to threats ... that is just inexcusable. It is not like Wisconsin, it is actually contrary to Wisconsin tradition,"" Miller said.
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said he has received many letters, e-mails and phone calls from people in Wisconsin expressing their views, mainly opposing the bill, but no letters or calls have been inappropriate or threatening.
""If it is a real threat, then it is very serious, but I have not seen or heard of all the specific details ... but if someone was truly threatened and there was an attempt to intimidate a representative from casting a vote, then that is a serious matter,"" said Black.
State Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, also received a threatening e-mail, telling him he would be a coward. Jauch told Wispolitics.com he had never received such a vicious threat and added that his wife was extremely hurt and worried about the e-mail.
He passed the letter on to Schmidt, who investigated the threat. He added the Capitol Police sent an officer to the e-mail author's house and brought the case over to the Dane County District Attorney's Office.
Schmidt said the district attorney declined to prosecute the case.
""Without a warranted criminal complaint, there is not much you can do with it, but we did talk to the person, and we feel that there is no reason to be truly worried or threatened at this time,"" Schmidt added.
