This year, more than 13,000 people have died from guns; more than half were suicides. And the country has so far counted 170 mass shootings.
The shootings of kids in schools is so common —14 so far this year— some of you may have missed the shooting in Nashville last month that killed three children and three adults. Few forget the shooting that killed 60 on Oct. 1, 2017, on the Las Vegas Strip.
When these things happen, we grieve over the deaths. We empathize with the survivors. Then we ask: can we keep it from happening again?
Now, lawmakers in Nevada are considering a set of measures to curb additional gun violence. But will it work?
Assembly Bills 354 and 355, and Senate Bill 171, seek to clamp down on gun violence. The bills prohibit anyone from carrying firearms onto an election site, raise the age to buy a semi-automatic to 21 and ban anyone who has committed a hate crime from owning a gun for ten years.
"This is a public safety issue," said Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui of Las Vegas, who has championed gun legislation throughout her career. "This is about keeping our community safe and I have hopes because we saw this law passed under a Republican governor in Florida again, a nonpartisan issue that our governor will sign it as well."
GOP lawmakers, however, have vowed to oppose the measures.
"Unfortunately, a lot of those laws affect more of the people that legally have arms and are legally allowed to carry arms because you see criminals, they don't follow the laws, they'll steal the guns," said Republican Senator Jeff Stone of Henderson.
The bills now move to the opposite house of the legislature.
Republican Governor Joe Lombardo has not said if he plans to sign or veto the legislation.
Guests: Jaime Brousse, volunteer, Mom’s Demand Action; Sen. Jeff Stone (R – Henderson); Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas), majority leader
