By DAVID A. LIEB (Associated Press)
Six months after a deadly mass shooting by an Army reservist, Maine lawmakers this week passed a wide-ranging package of new gun restrictions.
Three months after a fatal school shooting, Iowa lawmakers this week passed legislation allowing trained teachers and staff to carry guns on school property.
Two states. Two tragedies. Two different approaches to improving public safety.
“We live in two different Americas, in essence,” said Daniel Webster, a health policy professor affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
“We see terrible acts of gun violence; no one wants them, of course,” Webster said. “But we see this through different lenses.”
Legislatures in about 20 states already have passed measures this year to expand gun rights or restrict access to firearms. Dozens more proposals are pending. The divide continues a trend seen last year, when more than half the states enacted firearms legislation, with Democrats generally favoring more limits and Republicans more freedoms for gun owners. enacted firearms legislation, with Democrats generally favoring more limits and Republicans more freedoms for gun owners.
LIMITS ON GUNS IN MAINE
Maine has a tradition of hunting and gun ownership. But after an Army reservist killed 18 people and wounded 13 others in Lewiston, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills called for a variety of new laws aimed at preventing dangerous people from possessing guns and strengthening mental health services. Before adjourning its 2024 session early Thursday, lawmakers approved measures imposing a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases, expanding background checks on private gun sales and criminalizing sales to certain prohibited people. They also passed a ban on devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into rapid-firing weapons like machine guns, and enhanced an existing law that allows judges to temporarily remove guns from people during a mental health crisis. A gun safety coalition praised it as a significant step forward in response to constituents’ concerns after the Lewiston shooting. But Republican state Sen. Lisa Keim criticized colleagues for “using the tragedy to advance legislation” that had been unable to pass previously. GUNS IN IOWA SCHOOLS In Perry, Iowa, a school principal and sixth-grade student died and several others were wounded when a 17-year-old student opened fire. A 2021 state law already allowed schools to authorize individuals to carry firearms, though some districts have not done so because of concerns about insurance coverage.
The legislation given final approval Monday by the Republican-led Legislature builds upon the prior law by allowing teachers and staff who undergo gun safety training to get a professional permit to carry guns in schools. If they do, they would be protected from criminal or civil liability for use of reasonable force. The legislation also requires large school districts to station a police officer or private security guard at each high school, unless the school board votes not to do so. Most of those school districts already have security staff. DIFFERENT STATE LAWS
Republican-controlled state legislatures in Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah also approved measures this year to expand the ability of some individuals to bring guns into schools.
A bill was approved in Wyoming
allocating $480,000 to reimburse schools for the cost of training staff to carry guns on school property. South Carolina , under the leadership of Republican lawmakers and governors, each passed laws allowing individuals to carry concealed guns without a permit. The National Rifle Association, which backed the measures, stated similar laws are now in place in 29 states. In contrast, the Delaware Legislature, controlled by Democrats, in January.
passed a law
requiring individuals who wish to purchase a handgun to first undergo fingerprinting, training, and obtain a state permit.
The Democratic governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham,
signed two new laws
implementing restrictions. One establishes a seven-day waiting period for firearm purchases, which is more than double the three-day period required by the federal government for a background check. Another new law in New Mexico prohibits carrying firearms within 100 feet (30 meters) of polling places, with an exception for concealed carry permit holders. Restrictions on guns at voting sites are now in place in about one-third of the states and Washington, D.C., according to the gun-violence prevention group Giffords. DEFYING PARTY TRENDS
Louisiana and Not all new gun policies differ based on partisan lines.Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin this year
rejected 30 gun-related bills passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, stating that they would have infringed upon constitutional rights. However, Youngkin also approved some gun restrictions: One outlaws devices that convert semi-automatic handguns into automatic weapons. Another permits felony charges against parents who allow a child access to a firearm after being informed that the child poses a threat of violence. While approving several gun rights measures, Republican Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming also
rejected legislation that would have permitted individuals to carry concealed guns in public schools and government meetings. Gordon expressed concerns that it could have violated the separation of powers provision in the state constitution.
And in some instances, well-known shootings have led lawmakers to refrain from taking action on proposals they might have otherwise considered.
The Republican-led House in Missouri had been prepared to discuss bills that exempt guns and ammunition from sales taxes and allow individuals with concealed carry permits to bring guns onto public transportation. However, after the deadly
shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration
, House Majority Leader Jon Patterson stated that those bills would not be addressed this year. State lawmakers are pursuing various approaches to public safety following well-known shootings. Maine’s Democratic-controlled Legislature gave final approval to new restrictions on guns before adjourning Thursday. This action follows a deadly mass shooting in Lewiston six months ago. Meanwhile, Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature approved allowing teachers and staff who receive firearms safety training to carry guns on school property. This decision comes three months after a fatal shooting at an Iowa school. About 20 states have passed gun-related legislation this year, and over half of the states did so last year. Democrats generally support more restrictions, while Republicans lean towards granting more freedoms for gun owners. passed by the Democratic-led General Assembly that he said would have trampled on constitutional rights. Yet Youngkin also signed some gun restrictions: One bans devices that convert semi-automatic handguns into automatic weapons. Another allows felony charges against parents who let a child have access to a firearm after being notified the child poses a threat of violence.
While signing several gun rights measures, Republican Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming also vetoed legislation that would have allowed people to carry concealed guns in public schools and government meetings. Gordon cited concerns the bill could have exceeded the separation of powers provision in the state constitution.
And in some cases, high-profile shootings have prompted lawmakers to avoid taking action on proposals they might otherwise have considered.
Missouri’s Republican-led House had been prepared to debate bills exempting guns and ammunition from sales taxes and allowing people with concealed-carry permits to bring guns onto public transportation. But after the deadly shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration, House Majority Leader Jon Patterson said those bills would not be brought up this year.
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