An agreement on gun safety legislation was announced on Sunday by a bipartisan group of senators as the nation calls for a response after a month of heartbreaking mass shootings. The agreement is only in principal at this time and is not actually written into a full bill yet.
Minnesota junior U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D) told Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News the agreement on gun safety legislation is good news. But she also says it's far from a perfect bill.
“It is not enough,” Smith said. “It doesn't do all we need to do, but if we're able to make some progress and show that we can make improvements, I think that it will be a step towards the long term changes in improvement in gun safety that we need to do in this country.”
The agreement would provide incentives for states to pass so-called "red flag" laws, which the group calls "state crisis intervention orders;" boost mental health resources; provide funding for school safety resources; clarify the definition of federally licensed firearms dealer; and crack down on criminals who illegally straw purchase and traffic guns.
It would also expand background checks for firearms buyers under 21, by requiring an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records. Convicted domestic violence abusers and people subject to domestic violence restraining orders would also now be included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, closing what is called the "boyfriend loophole."
Senator Smith said that she'd like to see more expansion of background checks for gun buyers. She says there is potentially an opportunity to pass the legislation, especially with ten Republican senators backing the proposal.
“What we have an opportunity to do here is to both reduce gun violence in our communities and save lives while also improving our mental health systems,” Smith explains. “And this won't do everything we need to do, but it will be a big step in the right direction if we can get it done. And so I'm very encouraged by this.”
The support from the 10 GOP senators ensures that, if all 50 Democrats back the plan and the Republicans maintain their backing, it can advance in the Senate once introduced as legislation.
The president tweeted on Sunday that there should be no delay in passing the legislation with bipartisan support.
"I want to thank Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and the bipartisan group for their gun safety proposal. It does not do everything that I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction. With bipartisan support, there are no excuses for delay. Let’s get this done."
Smith says she expects the National Rifle Association to come out against the proposal.
Sunday the NRA tweeted that they “will continue to oppose any effort to insert gun control policies, initiatives that override constitutional due process protections and efforts to deprive law-abiding citizens of their fundamental right to protect themselves into this or any legislation.”
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