February 21, 2013
News
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Debates over gun control rage across the nation The past few months, Democratic lawmakers have proposed gun-control bills at both the state and federal levels following the massacre at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook elementary school on December 14, 2012. On January 16, President Barack Obama signed 23 executive actions in an effort to curb gun violence nationwide. These actions included requiring more thorough background checks, directing the Center for Disease Control to study gun violence, and asking healthcare providers to report threats of gun violence to law enforcement authorities. Obama also called for Congress to ban military-style assault weapons and require a universal background check for anyone who wants to buy a gun. In his State of the Union speech on February 12, Obama made an emotional appeal for gun control and said that each proposal deserved a vote in Congress. He asked Congress to work together for “common sense reform” such as background checks. A group of four senators began trying to compromise on expanding the requirement for gun-sale background checks. The talks have included methods to encourage states
President Barack Obama signs executive actions to reduce gun violence as Sandy Hook survivors look on January 16 at the White House. AP Images to make more mental health records available to the national health system and what types of transactions might be exempted from background checks, such as sales between relatives. The senators in this group include Democrats Chuck Schumer (New York) and Joe Manchin (West Virginia) and Republicans Tom Coburn (Oklahoma) and Mark Kirk (Illinois). Manchin and Coburn are both National Rifle Association members. Coburn stated a compromise could make it harder for people to acquire firearms. “The whole goal is to keep guns out of
the hands of the mentally ill and criminals,” Coburn said. New York was the first state to pass gun-control legislation after Sandy Hook. On January 15, the New York State Assembly passed the bill and Governor Anthony Cuomo signed it. The new law expanded the definition of banned weapons to include semiautomatic pistols and rifles with at least one military-style feature. New York citizens in possession of these banned weapons can either sell them out of state or register them in a statewide
firearms database in order to keep them. Guns with magazines that can hold more than seven rounds of ammunition (down from the current 10) are also banned. The law also requires background checks on ammunition buyers and ammunition dealers will have to register with the state. The law takes effect immediately. Six other states have also proposed similar gun-control laws. On February 7, in California’s State Assembly, two Democrats proposed a bill that would require gun owners to buy liability insurance and encourage owners to attend gun-safety classes and lock up their weapons in order to get insurance discounts. Democrats in the Colorado House and Senate proposed guncontrol bills on February 5. One bill would make manufacturers and sellers of assault-style weapons legally liable for the damage caused by their firearms. Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania have also proposed new state gun-control laws. Carolina VonKampen Copy Editor