Health orgs oppose WI bill barring docs from asking about gun ownership

MADISON, Wis. — Health organizations say a Wisconsin bill that would prohibit doctors from asking patients whether they own guns would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship. Under the proposal from Republican Rep. Michael Schraa, doctors except for psychiatrists who violated the ban could face a $25,000 fine or nine months in prison. "Owning a firearm, or not owning a firearm, is a personal decision that has nothing to do with your physical health," Schraa said in a statement. "Patients should not feel intimidated or harassed by their physicians over the exercise of a constitutional right."