Connecticut members of Congress and gun-violence prevention advocates held a Tuesday news conference, calling for legislative action one week after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in Texas.
U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both D-Conn., said they've spoken throughout the weekend with Republican lawmakers, trying to find common ground on gun-safety reform. Since the Uvalde tragedy, Murphy said, he's heard more colleagues express interest in changes to gun laws and support for mental-health services than at any point since the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut nearly 10 years ago.
"We are going to work, every single minute of every single day, over the course of this week and next week, to try to get enough of our Republican colleagues to 'yes'." Murphy said. "I hope they are moved by what they have witnessed in the way that the rest of this country has been moved."
On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee will attempt to advance a series of gun-safety measures known as the
"Protecting Our Kids Act." Those policies include raising the purchasing age for semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21, and requiring background checks on all gun sales.
Po Murray is co-founder of the Newtown Action Alliance and was a neighbor of the Sandy Hook gunman who shot and killed 26 people, a majority of whom were elementary-school children. After the latest tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, she said, she think Americans will no longer tolerate federal inaction.
"A decade after Sandy Hook, mass shootings have skyrocketed and gun deaths have increased by 30%. It's unacceptable," she said. "It's not too late for congressional Republicans to act. They have an opportunity to join the right side of history. The time is now for them to act."
Murphy and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, had a virtual meeting scheduled Tuesday to discuss a basic framework for gun-reform legislation that could receive enough bipartisan support to surpass the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Background-check loopholes and red-flag laws were among the expected topics.
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Well over three-fourths of Americans support universal background checks for gun purchases, but federal law allows unlicensed people to sell guns at gun shows and online without one.
Sixteen states now require background checks for gun sales by licensed and unlicensed sellers but Nebraska is not one of them.
The Biden administration is taking a step to close the gun show loophole. By mid-May, a broader definition of who is a gun dealer, and thus required to conduct background checks, will go into effect.
Melody Vaccaro, executive director of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, said the broadened definition will not affect true "hobbyists," such as antique gun collectors.
"The main way that it goes between a hobbyist and a gun dealer is if someone is selling guns regularly for money," Vaccaro explained. "If monetization is the driver of the gun sales."
Nearly a dozen different violations make people ineligible to purchase or possess a gun under federal law. And since the federal background check system was initiated in 1998, it has stopped nearly 5 million illegal gun purchases.
Those who oppose expanding background checks believe additional regulations burden law-abiding citizens and do not stop potentially dangerous people from getting firearms.
Vaccaro acknowledged it may be true, but is not a reason to stop trying. She hopes the change will help Nebraskans discover their common ground on this issue.
"Everybody is worried about gun violence. Everybody's worried about mass shootings. Everybody's wondering how we can do better; everybody's wondering that," Vaccaro emphasized. "That's not a political party conversation; that is actually something we all share."
And Vaccaro expects most Nebraskans will welcome an increase in the percentage of gun sales to include a background check.
"It is just so basic; it's so pragmatic," Vaccaro contended. "I really would be surprised if there was authentic pushback from everyday people, who are not lobbyists or directly profiting from the gun industry in some way."
Nebraska law regulates handgun sales by both licensed and unlicensed sellers, but private sellers can sell a long gun without a background check.
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Background checks on those who purchase firearms at gun shows may soon be expanded.
The Justice Department last week issued a directive to close the so-called "gun show loophole." A final rule submitted to the Federal Register changes the definition of firearm sellers, ultimately requiring they obtain a federal firearms license to sell guns at gun shows, flea markets and over the internet.
Miranda Viscoli, co-president of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, welcomed the new rule.
"There is no reason why anybody should be able to walk into any gun show in the United States of America, if there's not a background check law at the state level, and be able to purchase firearms, no questions asked," Viscoli contended.
The new rule would classify around 23,000 vendors as licensed firearms dealers, making their gun sales subject to checks. The Biden administration has said the rule does not conflict with the Second Amendment, but two Republican senators have already announced plans to introduce a joint resolution to overturn the rule.
Earlier this year, New Mexico lawmakers approved, and the governor signed, several firearms-related bills. One prohibits guns within 100-feet of polling places during a state election. And Viscoli said another bill could reduce the number of sales at gun shows.
"In New Mexico, and this does pertain to gun shows, we just passed a seven-day hold on the sale of firearms," Viscoli noted. "That's going to make it very difficult for gun shows because they would have to mail those guns to people."
In starting her position in 2013, Viscoli attended gun shows to see how easy or difficult it was to buy guns. Despite telling dealers she had forgotten her driver's license and had no identification, she said she was assured it wouldn't be a problem. Ten years later, she believes the proliferation of guns is out of control.
"It's coming to define who we are both as a state in New Mexico and as a country," Viscoli observed. "I mean, when gun violence is a leading cause of death for young people, I don't know why we're not sitting at the table and figuring, 'What the heck do we do about this?'"
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Leaders from across Alabama are banding together in a united effort to combat gun violence and seek effective solutions.
Alabama has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the country, with 25 gun deaths per 100,000 residents, almost double the national average.
Nikesha Tilton, gun violence prevention leader for the group Moms Demand Action, said one key contributor is the lack of gun safety protections and programs. She outlined key areas for improvement:
"A good ecosystem has several parts," Tilton explained. "You would have community violence intervention teams that consist of street outreach workers and also having significant programs for youths."
She noted another key part missing in the state's ecosystem to reduce gun violence is collaboration among community groups. She called attention to the work of the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth, and Reconciliation as an example. It has reduced homicides by 50% through its work.
To address the issues, Moms Demand Action, Faith in Action Alabama and other organizations will be hosting a summit at the Old Ship AME Zion Church today from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Highlighting the struggle for resources as a significant barrier, Tilton believes the summit will play a critical role in addressing limitations by seeking effective strategies to overcome obstacles.
"Funding, making sure that we're doing the work to have intentional relationship building," Tilton pointed out. "Those are two barriers. There's also legislation that could be put in place. "
Tilton hopes the summit will shed light on other avenues to reduce gun violence, such as mental health services, hospital intervention and victim compensation. According to Everytown Research, Alabama experiences an average of more than 1,100 gun-related deaths and more than 3,000 injuries per year.
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