In Wake Of Florida Mass Shooting, States Stepping Up To Take Gun Control Into Their Own Hands
Four East Coast states are forming a coalition to better promote and foster gun safety, while other states mull legislation allowing "red flag" gun seizures when necessary. And Oregon passes a measure to ban those with a domestic violence conviction from owning a firearm.
The Associated Press:
4 Governors Join Forces On Gun Safety, Pledge To Share Intel
The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island have created a coalition of like-minded states on gun control, promising to expand existing efforts to share information on illegal guns, and ultimately make progress on gun safety measures where they contend the federal government has faltered. The four Democrats announced the formation of "States for Gun Safety" on Thursday. They plan to urge other governors to join the group at a National Governors Association meeting this weekend in Washington, D.C. (Haigh, 2/22)
The Wall Street Journal:
Four Governors Join Forces To Stem Movement Of Illegal Guns
A memorandum of understanding signed by the governors of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island creates a task force of law-enforcement members from the four states who will analyze and share information on guns purchased outside of the region that were involved in crimes in the hopes of intercepting people suspected of illegally bringing guns across the four states’ borders. The agreement also allows their law enforcement agencies to share information from their mental health registries, which aren’t included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. (King, 2/22)
The CT Mirror:
CT Helps Launch Multistate Effort To Enhance Gun Controls
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and three of his northeastern counterparts unveiled a new multistate coalition Thursday to strengthen gun regulation efforts. Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island will begin sharing databases and criminal intelligence and coordinating research related to potential firearm purchases, gun trafficking and violent crime. (Phaneuf, 2/22)
The New York Times:
States Mull ‘Red Flag’ Gun Seizures From People Deemed Dangerous
In the last two months, law enforcement authorities in California took a gun away from a 38-year-old man who had threatened to kill himself, his wife and their young child if she left him. They removed three weapons from a 23-year-old ex-Marine who, the authorities said, had developed a paranoia that all males wanted to harm him. And they took a handgun from a 39-year-old man whose terrified neighbors reported that he was firing his weapon in the backyard; the man, who said he thought he was aiming for raccoons and rats, was found to be intoxicated, the police said. (Johnson, 2/23)
The Hill:
Oregon Legislature Passes Bill Strengthening State's Gun Laws
The Oregon legislature passed a bill Thursday banning anyone with a domestic violence conviction from owning a firearm, according to KOIN 6 local news station. The state has banned those with domestic violence or stalking convictions from owning guns since 2015, but a loophole in the law allowed abusers who aren’t living with, married to or have children with the victim to have their guns, according to OregonLive. (Thomsen, 2/22)
