Gun Control

How Pro-Gun Laws Swept The Nation Since 2009: A Guide

Sahil Kapur | April 16, 2012, 5:01AM

Texas Governor Rick Perry (R)

Trayvon Martin's death may have opened a nationwide dialogue about the wisdom of lax gun laws. But that hasn't slowed down the National Rifle Association. The absolutist Second Amendment group remains firmly on offense, representing a movement that has crushed its political adversaries so thoroughly that even tragic tales can't slow its juggernaut.

At its annual convention in St. Louis, Mo. this weekend, NRA's executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, decried the "sensational reporting from Florida," referring to stories about Martin, an unarmed teenager recently who was shot to death in late February. NRA Executive Director Chris Cox defended the state's "stand your ground" law that may ultimately let shooter George Zimmerman off the hook, declaring, "Castle doctrine can literally save your life."

These are the words of an aggressive, well-funded lobby that is turning gun lovers' wildest dreams into reality. Indeed, recent high-profile shootings made possible by lax guns laws -- including one that almost killed former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- have failed to arrest the two-decade-long trend, boosted by a pliant Republican Party, a solid Supreme Court majority and a Democratic Party that has mostly abandoned the gun-control cause.

Despite four years of the NRA crowing about the dangers Barack Obama presents to the Second Amendment, his presidency has been remarkably friendly to the pro-gun cause, and persisting fears to the contrary have inspired a golden era of gun rights in the states.

Here are highlights of pro-gun victories since 2009:

Read more »

Wisconsin State Legislature

Wisconsin Senate Approves Guns On Floor, But Not In Gallery

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2011, 6:13PM

The Wisconsin state Senate on Monday approved, through its internal Committee on Senate Organization, a policy that will allow senators and others to carry firearms on the floor -- but in a hint of compromise, spectators will not be able to bring guns into the Senate gallery during floor sessions.

Also, individual lawmakers who do not want guns in their own offices will be able to post signs notifying citizens that weapons will not be allowed.

The rules were passed on Monday, on a party-line 3-2 vote, and then took effect today.

As TPM has previously posted, the policy is a result of the state's new law, passed by the Republican legislature and signed by Gov. Scott Walker, allowing residents to obtain concealed-carry permits.

Read more »

Arizona

PPP Poll: Arizona Favors Gun Control

Eric Kleefeld | February 3, 2011, 4:50PM

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)

A new survey of Arizona from Public Policy Polling (D) finds an interesting result: This red state wants more gun control -- indeed, they favor it more than national surveys have shown since the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in the Tucson area.

The poll asked: "In general do you think Arizona should have stricter laws concerning who can buy guns or not?" The answer was Yes 55%, No 38%.

As PPP's Tom Jensen points out: "That's a higher degree of support for increased gun control in the wake of last month's shootings in Tucson than national polls are showing. A recent CBS poll showed just 46% of voters across the country in support of tougher laws on guns and ABC and NBC both put the number at 52%."

Read more »

State Of The Union

Axelrod: Obama Will Enter Public Debate Over Gun Control

Brian Beutler | January 26, 2011, 5:22PM

David Axelrod and President Obama

Conservatives, cling to your guns.

Well, not really. But during a roundtable discussion with reporters and liberal writers Wednesday afternoon, White House political adviser David Axelrod said President Obama will soon enter the gun control debate, his silence on the issue during State of the Union notwithstanding.

"There's no doubt that he will," Axelrod said in the West Wing's Roosevelt room -- it's just a question of how.

Read more »

Giffords shooting

Poll: Six In Ten Voters Want Police Presence At Congressional Forums

Jon Terbush | January 19, 2011, 11:22AM

Capitol police

Following the shooting earlier this month in Arizona that killed six and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in the hospital after being shot in the head, voters overwhelmingly want their elected representatives to keep holding town hall style meetings, but to do so with a beefed up security detail, according to a new poll commissioned by The Hill.

In the poll, 91% of respondents said it was either "very important" or "somewhat important" for lawmakers to continue meeting with their constituents. In addition, 60% said that police should be present at those gatherings, versus just 28% who said that police did not need to be there.

Read more »

Louie Gohmert

Gohmert: 'Guns Are The Great Equalizer' (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | January 14, 2011, 5:57PM

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), who is proposing a bill to allow members of Congress to carry guns in the Capitol and D.C., explained today: "Saying guns are the problem is like saying spoons are what make people fat. Maybe we'll need to regulate the size of spoons."

Read more »

Carolyn McCarthy

McCarthy Hopes To Pull Obama Off Sidelines On Gun Safety

Ryan J. Reilly | January 14, 2011, 11:45AM

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) told TPM in an interview Thursday night that she's hoping that President Barack Obama will get off the sidelines of the gun debate and support legislation she'll introduce in the House next week to prohibit high-capacity gun magazines in the United States.

Her bill would ban large-capacity ammunition feeding devices like the one reportedly used by Jared Lee Loughner, the gunman charged with killing six people and gravely wounding Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in a mass shooting on Saturday. It will be paired with legislation introduced on the Senate side by McCarthy's fellow veteran gun control advocate Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).

Read more »

CBS

CBS Poll: Support For Stricter Gun Laws Spikes After Tucson Rampage

Jon Terbush | January 12, 2011, 10:31AM

Handguns on display

The number of Americans who favor stricter gun laws has spiked significantly in the wake of the weekend shooting spree that killed six and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in critical condition, reversing a long-running trend of declining support for more stringent gun control, according to a new CBS poll.

In the poll, 47% of respondents said gun laws should be made tougher, while 36% said they should remain unchanged, and just 12% said they should be relaxed. While that means a slim plurality (48%) are opposed to strengthening gun laws, that opposition has dropped 10 points since CBS last polled the question less than one year ago.

In April 2010, CBS pegged total opposition to stricter gun laws at 58%, with 42% saying gun control was fine as is, and 16% saying that laws should be scaled back. And 40% supported tougher gun laws -- a number that's now risen to 47%.

Read more »

Gun Control

Dems And GOP Agree: Gun Control Is A Non-Starter In AZ Following Shooting

Evan McMorris-Santoro | January 11, 2011, 11:32AM

Arizona State Representative Daniel Patterson (D-Tucson)

TUCSON, AZ -- Arizona's answer to the deadly shooting at a constituent event for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) Saturday will likely be more guns at political rallies, not less. That's the word from Democrats and Republicans in this mourning desert city still reeling from this weekend's mass shooting that left six dead and 14 injured, including Giffords, who remains in critical condition after being shot in the head.

Simply put, local politicians say, Arizona loves guns. And that means that there's little or no chance that curbing their purchase or availability will be one the political agenda for the foreseeable future.

Despite a renewed national call for new firearms regulation following the shooting, the best gun control-supporting Arizonans can hope for is a slower pace in Arizona's continuing march toward looser gun control laws.

"That's not going to happen in Arizona," state Rep. Daniel Patterson (D-Tucson) told me in an interview last night when I asked about gun control. "The more likely response is we're going to have to think about having more armed guards at [political] events."

[TPM SLIDESHOW: On The Ground In Arizona: TPM Retraces Shooting Suspect's Steps ]

Read more »

Denny Rehberg

GOP Rep. Rehberg: With Obama As President, We Need More Trigger Locks

Eric Kleefeld | September 9, 2010, 4:36PM

Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT)

Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) offered some advice to a local company in his state that makes parts for guns: With President Obama in office, you'll need to develop more trigger locks.

As the Ravalli Republic reports:

But as a politician who bills himself as a straight shooter, Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg also had a bit of off-color advice for Bonnie and Randy Jones, proprietors of Bitterroot Tool and Machine, makers of airplane bolts, grain mills and bullet-loaders.

"If Obama is president, maybe you need to spend more time developing a gun lock, a trigger lock," Rehberg said with a chuckle, sitting across a lunchroom table from the Joneses in a suede jacket emblazoned with the U.S. government seal.

The comment came in response to Randy Jones asking about gun rights.

Read more »

Elena Kagan

Grassley Asks Kagan: Didn't God Give Us The Right To Bear Arms? (VIDEO)

Megan Carpentier | June 29, 2010, 5:42PM

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Usually, in a confirmation hearing for a Supreme Court nominee, the discussion of the Second Amendment comes down to a debate over whether the amendment guarantees an individual or collective the right to bear arms. One might think the matter was settled in Congress since Supreme Court rulings in Heller and McDonald leave the individual right to bear arms, as Elena Kagan said earlier today, "settled law." However, having a settled constitutional question left Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) with an opening to question whether the right to bear arms come from more than just the constitution. He wanted to know, in fact, whether it came straight from God.

Read more »

Gun Control

Northern VA Rep Calls Out Gun-Toting Protesters In His District

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 19, 2010, 4:09PM

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA)

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) is calling out armed protesters who used a D.C.-area national park in his district to protest the federal government today.

In a tough statement from his office today, Moran -- never one to hold back when it comes to people he disagrees with -- said that doesn't care for the new laws allowing people to carry guns at national parks, and he said that the fact that protesters are taking advantage of them "raises major public safety concerns."

Read more »

Gun Control

Gun Rights Groups, Right Wingers Battle Each Other In DC

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 19, 2010, 10:53AM

Anti-gun control flag seen at a Tea Party rally in Phoenix, AZ

Gun rights groups are gathering in Washington today to call for increased access to firearms, and the right to pack heat everywhere. But before they make their stand, gun rights advocates have work out an internal struggle playing itself out around the city.

Two groups of pro-gun activists are gathering in Washington -- one armed and (according to right wing groups, dangerous), and one unarmed. Both want it to be easier for Americans to carry guns around wherever they go.

But neither, it seems, want anything to do with each other.

Read more »