Mass Shootings Continue to Exacerbate Political Divide on Gun Policy
Mass shootings in the United States have failed to provoke a unified response from elected officials, causing a widening political divide on gun policy among states. In states with already restrictive gun laws and Democratic leadership, officials have responded to home-state tragedies by increasing limits on gun access. Meanwhile, in states where Republican-led legislatures prevail, high-profile shootings have failed to prompt any new firearm restrictions, with elected officials believing violent people, not their weapons, are the problem. The US recorded over 600 mass shootings, in which at least four people were killed or injured for the third straight year in 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Eminent researchers, like American health professor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, Daniel Webster, believe that it is essential to view the problem differently to formulate any effective response.
Legislative Sessions get Underway in US
As state legislative sessions commence, several gun-related bills have been filed, but progress appears unlikely. In Texas, relatives of some of the 19 children and two teachers killed in a school shooting last year have pleaded with lawmakers to raise the age from 18 to 21 to buy semi-automatic rifles and lift restraints against lawsuits alleging negligence by law enforcement officers and public agencies. However, Texas officials have responded with $105.5m for school safety and mental health initiatives instead of passing bills that limit access to guns. Meanwhile, Missouri is also unlikely to enact stricter gun laws after a high school shooting last October left three people dead. Legislative attempts to introduce red-flag laws that could prevent such incidents have failed to pass the Missouri Senate. In Oklahoma, Republican lawmakers will likely push for looser gun laws, with a bill filed to lower the age for carrying a firearm from 21 to 18.
Changes in Democratic Led States
Democratic-led New York and Illinois have moved fairly quickly to enact additional gun restrictions after mass shootings. In Illinois, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed legislation earlier this month that bans the sale or possession of dozens of specific types of semi-automatic guns and high-capacity ammunition magazines. However, gun-rights advocates sued the state of Illinois, resulting in a temporary block on the legislation. In Colorado, lawmakers are proposing new gun restrictions, two months after five people were killed at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs. Democratic leaders have been most supportive of proposals to strengthen red flag laws and raise the minimum age to purchase firearms from 18 to 21.