Gun Talks Progress But Will Exclude ‘Comprehensive’ Background Checks

Bloomberg: Mass Shootings: US Senators Say Gun Talks Inching Forward But Outcome Unclear
A bipartisan group of US senators continues to move forward on negotiating limited measures to help prevent mass shootings, though a deal is far from assured, senators involved in the talks from both parties said on Sunday. “There are intensive discussions underway,” Senator Pat Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “It includes people who have not been engaged on this issue in the past. I certainly can’t guarantee any outcome but it feels to me like we are closer than we’ve been since I’ve been in the Senate.” (Dorning, 6/5)

The Hill: Murphy: Gun Reform Talks Won’t Include Assault Weapons Ban, ‘Comprehensive’ Background Checks
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who is helping lead bipartisan gun reform talks in the Senate, said on Sunday that any potential deal on legislation would not include an assault weapons ban or “comprehensive” background checks. Murphy told CNN “State of the Union” co-anchor Jake Tapper that the bipartisan group of senators leading the talks following a recent string of high-profile mass shootings met again Saturday night, adding that negotiations are focused on mental health funding, school safety measures and “modest but impactful” gun control proposals. (Schonfeld, 6/5)

The Hill: Beyer To Propose 1,000 Percent Tax On Assault-Style Weapons 
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) is drafting legislation to impose a hefty tax on assault-style weapons in the wake of recent mass shootings across the United States.  ... Instead of completely banning assault weapons, Beyer’s proposal would impose a 1,000 percent tax on the weapons for manufacturers, producers, and importers. The bill would exempt government entities like law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels, as well as the military. The price for new AR-15-style guns range $500 to more than $2,000, according to NBC News. As such, a 1,000 percent tax on the would increase the price of those weapons to anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000. (Beals, 6/5)

The Hill: What Is An ‘Assault Rifle’? Language To Know As Leaders Discuss Gun Legislation 
There’s a push by Democrats, and President Joe Biden, to revisit the idea of an “assault weapons ban” following a shooting at a Texas elementary school where 19 students and two teachers were shot and killed. But you may be wondering: what qualifies as an “assault weapon” or an “assault rifle?” (Reader and Nextar Media Wire, 6/4)

More on the gun violence epidemic —

NBC News: At Least 12 Dead In Another Weekend Of Mass Shootings Across America
The first weekend of June marked a greater number of mass shooting deaths in the United States than the previous three-day weekend, which ended with Memorial Day. The tally for weekend violence through Sunday night was at least 12 killed, and at least 38 injured in mass shootings, defined by the Gun Violence Archive as an incident in which “four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.” During the holiday weekend nine were killed and more than 60 were injured in attacks fitting that definition. As Americans debate the possibility of new gun regulations in the wake of the horrific Uvalde school attack, gun violence seemed to continue unabated with the official start of summer, June 21, and its hottest nights still ahead. (Romero, 6/6)

Oklahoman: Tulsa Shooting Renews Calls To Address Violence In Health Care, Raises Security Questions
The shooting is part of a rise in active-shooter events across the U.S. and an extreme example of violence against health care workers. The violence in Tulsa has left doctors, nurses and other medical professionals across the state on edge. In 2021, there were 61 total active-shooter incidents across the U.S., up from 40 in 2020, according to an FBI report. One of the 61 attacks occurred at a health care facility. That shooting bears a resemblance to the shooting in Tulsa: a patient unhappy with his medical care opened fire on a clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota, killing one person and wounding four others, according to authorities. (Branham, 6/5)

Houston Chronicle: Despite Texas GOP Support, Mental Health Funding Has Been Sparse
There is little evidence that mental illnesses cause mass shootings or that people diagnosed with them are more likely to commit violent crimes. Advocates also warn that scapegoating mental illness can stigmatize the wide spectrum of people living with psychological disorders. "It's absolutely something that should be addressed — but it's not a panacea,” said Greg Hansch, executive director for the Texas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “It's more of a secondary or tertiary factor." Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Republicans have pointed to the shortage of mental health resources, especially in rural Texas, as a key factor in the Uvalde shooting, while rejecting calls for stricter gun laws. (Blackman and Scherer, 6/6)

On preventing school shootings —

The Hill: Buttigieg: Blaming Gun Violence On School Doorways Is ‘Definition Of Insanity’ 
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday that blaming the design of school doorways for gun violence in the U.S. is the “definition of insanity.”  ... “The idea that us being the only developed country where this happens routinely, especially in terms of the mass shootings, is somehow a result of the design of the doorways on our school buildings, is the definition of insanity if not the definition of denial,” he said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week."

AP: Firm Proposes Taser-Armed Drones To Stop School Shootings 
Taser developer Axon said this week it is working to build drones armed with the electric stunning weapons that could fly in schools and “help prevent the next Uvalde, Sandy Hook, or Columbine.” But its own technology advisers quickly panned the idea as a dangerous fantasy. ... “This particular idea is crackpot,” said Barry Friedman, a New York University law professor who sits on the Axon AI Ethics Board. “Drones can’t fly through closed doors. The physical properties of the universe still hold. So unless you have a drone in every single classroom in America, which seems insane, the idea just isn’t going to work.” (O'Brien and Balsamo, 6/3)