The gun-control debate returns to the spotlight at the state Capitol Friday as lawmakers take on a slew of bills intended to tighten screens on gun ownership and ban sales of magazines holding more than 15 rounds.
If events earlier this week were any indication, it should be a day of intense back-and-forth.
We hope lawmakers approve all but two of the seven pending measures, though one of the bills we oppose needs only a tweak for us to support it. The one bill that does not make sense at all is the one that of assault-style weapons liable for crimes committed with the guns.
, sponsored by Senate President John Morse, flies in the face of logic and federal law. It’s a convoluted effort to skirt a federal ban on lawsuits against gun makers and sellers.
, we think the more honest approach would have been to propose a straight-up ban, which we support. Lawmakers should kill this bill and bring back one that takes the issue head-on.
As for the six other measures, we think they are good public policy. We’ll take them on one at a time.
would end online training for a concealed-carry permit. If it passes, people who want to get such a permit would have to do the training in person.
That’s a reasonable requirement that would ensure people are properly trained and has the potential to expose applicants who are obviously mentally unstable.
Another logical change being proposed would establish a state-level enforcement system for prohibitions, already in federal law, against domestic violence perpetrators from owning guns. mandates the state court system will require those to relinquish any weapons. It also covers those who have protection orders against them. It’s a logical extension of those existing prohibitions.
Another sensible change being proposed would require a potential gun buyer in a private transaction to undergo a criminal background check. , the , would tighten up the state’s system for ensuring that those who shouldn’t have guns cannot buy them. It’s long overdue.
On a related matter, would , a cost estimated at $10 to $12. Recently, a surge of buyers flooded the system and lengthy delays resulted. This reasonable fee will create a revenue stream to pay for checks. It makes sense.
In addition, there is , which . As we have said previously, guns and college students are a volatile mix. But we would still prefer the decision of whether to prohibit guns on campus be left up to individual colleges and universities and would support this bill only if it were tweaked to allow that.
And lastly, , the most controversial of the bunch, would holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition. High-capacity magazines have been used in several mass shooting incidents that illustrate the capacity of this equipment to mow down many people very quickly. We see little need for them and have no qualms about banning their sale.
There’s no doubt the gun debate has been loud and contentious, but that’s democracy in action. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
