Fortunately, this has very little chance of success.

MADISON (WKOW) — In the wake of the recent tragedy involving a Metro Market employee who was gunned down by a former coworker, there’s been a renewed interest to restore a law for a 48-hour hand gun waiting period.

State Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) says it’s become her calling to bring it back soon, especially after the phone call she received Saturday morning from victim Caroline Nosal’s mother, Jane.

Our 27 News cameras were rolling when Jane Nosal called Kathryn Larson as she was interviewing Rep. Taylor on her efforts to re-introduce the repealed measure. What happened next was a spontaneous conversation; between a lawmaker and a heartbroken mother, an unrehearsed emotional exchange –one mother to another.

“This is so senseless, and so devastating,” Rep. Taylor told Jane Nosal as the two teared up and cried about Tuesday’s murder outside the Metro Market.

The suspect, Christopher O’Kroley, was fired from the grocery store on Monday.  According to the criminal complaint and Madison Police, O’Kroley bought a gun at a store.  A little more than 24 hours later, police say he killed Nosal.

“I don’t think waiting 48 hours to purchase a handgun is a huge burden, I don’t think if you ask the parents of the young woman killed that they will say that it is too much of a burden,” Rep. Taylor said about her work to re-introduce the 48-hour wait-period law.

You’ll notice that the entire rationale for reinstating the 48-hour waiting period is based on emotion. Taylor had an emotional conversation, so the rest of us have to be regulated.

In truth, she’s right. The 48-hour waiting period isn’t a huge burden. It’s annoying, but not a huge burden. It’s also useless as a crime prevention measure. The notion that waiting another 24 hours would have prevented the killer from acting is completely hypothetical. He might have cooled off. He also might have stewed in his own juices a bit longer and decided to kill more people. Or he may have done exactly what he did – just a day later. We will never know.

The 48-hour waiting period is also completely arbitrary. It isn’t based on any evidence whatsoever. Why 48 hours? Why not 72? 3 weeks? Why just handguns? Would this killer have been less deadly if he had bought a shotgun instead? Again, the rule was completely arbitrary and useless, which is why we did away with it.

The 48-hour waiting period is just a useless hurdle for gun owners that makes anti-gun folks feel like they are “doing something.” Well, I’d rather not be hassled just to make Rep. Taylor feel better.