In the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, officials with the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence say they’ve a renewed sense of urgency to promote gun legislation in the First State.
The coalition is backing three bills in the General Assembly pertaining to gun safety. The bills collectively would ban bump stocks and give family members, law enforcement and mental health professionals more tools to keep guns out of the hands of people who pose a threat.
House Bill 222 puts in place a legal process by which family members and law enforcement can temporarily remove guns from an individual showing signs of endangering themselves or others. Coalition chairman Dennis Greenhouse says this may have helped prevent the incident in Parkland.
“If they had this law in Florida, maybe the guns could have been taken away,” said Greenhouse.
HB-300 would ban bump stocks, the devices used by Stephen Paddock in Las Vegas to modify his rifles and make them automatic weapons. HB-302 is a mental health bill limiting access to firearms for people who medical professionals believe could harm themselves or others.
Greenhouse says his coalition supports the Second Amendment but would like to see stricter gun laws—including a ban on AR-15 rifles. He says they do not support a bill in Congress that would legalize silencers.
“We are not saying that law-abiding citizens can’t own guns, in fact, many of our officers in the coalition are gun owners, but we stress responsible gun ownership and common-sense gun legislation,” said Greenhouse.
