There’s An Incoming Class Of Democrats That Campaigned On Gun Control, And They Plan To Uphold Promises
“This new majority is not going to be afraid of our shadow,” Mike Thompson, a California Democrat who is chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, told The Wall Street Journal. “We know that we’ve been elected to do a job, and we’re going to do it.” The Democrats are promising to pass the most aggressive gun-control measures in decades when they take power. Meanwhile, California already has strict laws, but activists have already started weighing what more can be done.
The Wall Street Journal:
Democrats Plan To Pursue Most Aggressive Gun-Control Legislation In Decades
Democrats say they will pass the most aggressive gun-control legislation in decades when they become the House majority in January, plans they renewed this week in the aftermath of a mass killing in a California bar. Their efforts will be spurred by an incoming class of pro-gun-control lawmakers who scored big in Tuesday’s midterm elections, although any measure would likely meet stiff resistance in the GOP-controlled Senate. Democrats ousted at least 15 House Republicans with “A” National Rifle Association ratings, while the candidates elected to replace them all scored an “F” NRA rating. (Epstein, 11/9)
The Associated Press:
Democratic State Gains May Mean Tighter Gun, Looser Pot Laws
From New York to New Mexico, residents in a number of states can expect a leftward push for expanded health care coverage, gun control, education funding and legalized recreational marijuana as Democrats who gained new or stronger powers in the midterm elections seek to put their stamp on public policy. While Republicans remain in charge in more states, Democrats nearly doubled the number of places where they will wield a trifecta of power over the governor's office and both chambers of the state legislature. (Lieb and Mulvihill, 11/11)
The New York Times:
California Is Already Tough On Guns. After A Mass Shooting, Some Wonder If It’s Enough
After a mass killing in Santa Barbara in 2014, California passed a law that let police officers and family members seek restraining orders to seize guns from troubled people. A year later, a shooting rampage in San Bernardino led to voters approving a ballot proposition to outlaw expanded magazines for guns and require background checks for buying ammunition. The state has also banned assault weapons and regulates ammunition sales — all part of a wave of gun regulation that began a quarter century ago with a mass murder at a San Francisco law firm. (Arango and Medina, 11/10)
