The first of Governor Jack Markell’s gun control bills has passed through the General Assembly. This measure expands background checks to private gun sales.
After more than two ours of debate, the bill passed 13-8 a day after a similar measure failed to get the needed support to advance in the U.S. Senate.
State Senator Brian Pettyjohn (R-Georgetown) questioned other lawmakers referencing December’s Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, saying that event and gun control are unrelated.
“This bill has nothing to do with Sandy Hook except to invoke emotion and guilt. Guilt for the people who vote against this bill and emotion for the people who vote for it,”
Senator Bryan Townsend (D-Newark) refuted arguments from some Republicans that lawmakers shouldn’t pass the bill because it wouldn’t affect criminals.
“The idea that just because this means it might shift the criminal’s activity to dark alleys means that we shouldn’t support this legislation just befuddles me. That’s all the more reason to,” said Townsend.
Two votes crossed party lines on both sides.
Democratic Senator Robert Venables (D-Laurel) was one of them. He says lawmakers need to address criminals and that he doesn’t see anything in this bill that does that. The others who broke ranks with their respective parties were Sen. Bruce Ennis (D-Smyrna) who voted against the bill and Sens. Ernie Lopez (R-Lewes) and Cathy Cloutier (R-Heatherbroooke) who supported the measure.
Governor Jack Markell (D) later joined with bill sponsors, thanking legislators for passing the bill and promising to it.
“For too many years, criminals and other ‘persons prohibited’ have been able to avoid background checks and exploit a loophole that allowed them to easily acquire firearms,” said Governor Markell. "By passing this legislation, we will close this loophole once and for all. Delaware will be a safer place as a result of this bill.”
Four other gun control measures proposed by Markell are still in the legislative process or being drafted.