Wisconsin foster parents no longer have to follow the state’s old gun‑control mandates after a judge sided with parents who first filed suit back in 2020. Yes, it took more than half a decade to reach the obvious conclusion that foster parents don’t lose their constitutional rights just because they choose to help kids.
This is why being engaged in your state legislative battles on the right to keep and bear arms is so critical. Gun owners can have a massive impact if they stay engaged and do not have to rely on lawsuits to try and remedy these situations.
Under the previous rules in Wisconsin, foster parents were forced to unload their firearms and keep them locked at all times — a policy that effectively eliminated any practical means of self‑defense. The parents argued that the state had no authority to impose extra restrictions on their right to keep and bear arms, and the court finally agreed.
The lawsuit named two defendants: Jeff Pertl, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, and Julie Driscoll, director of Washington County’s Health and Human Services Department.
After the ruling, Driscoll’s attorney said they are still reviewing the decision and called firearms and foster families “complicated issues.” For ordinary citizens, the right to self‑defense isn’t complicated at all, and this ruling finally reflects that reality.
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