States Having Their Own Gun-Control Debates
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — While Washington tries to decide how best to address with the gun violence epidemic in the country, individual states are making their own rules and having debates of their own.
More than 1,100 gun-related bills have been introduced on the state level, according to a review conducted earlier this week by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Some of these bills have tried to restrict access to guns, while others do just the opposite.
South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed a law on Friday that would give school boards the authority to allow teachers to carry firearms in the classroom.
In the town of Nelson, Georgia, 50 miles north of Atlanta, lawmakers are considering an ordinance that would mandate gun ownership for all homeowners. In Missouri, a lawmaker proposed a bill that would make it a felony to propose any new gun legislation.
Some lawmakers in Colorado are attempting to pass a series of more restrictive gun control laws to combat mass gun violence in the wake of the movie theater shooting in Aurora last summer. They are facing resistance from those who want to protect the tradition of gun ownership, as well as those motivated by business interests.
One major gun manufacturer, Magpul Industries, has threatened to leave Colorado if certain measures go into effect.
In Washington, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of a gun trafficking bill that would make straw purchasing illegal, and the bill will now move to be considered by the full Senate.
It’s looking doubtful, however, that the assault weapons ban will pass the Senate. Similarly, the background check bill has stalled in Congress after some important supporters backed out of talks, saying they could not support the bill in its current state.
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