Tag: Gun Control

Legislature in Tennessee, Birthplace of the Klan, Expels Two Black Lawmakers

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From left: Reps. Justine Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson
From left: Reps. Justine Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson

CNN: “In an extraordinary, emotionally charged session marked by tense exchanges and punctuated by boos and chants from onlookers, Tennessee’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to expel two Black lawmakers – but failed to oust a third [white] representative – a week after the three Democrats led a gun reform protest in the chamber.

“The crowd in the gallery erupted in boos and chants following both expulsions and loud cheers when the vote count turned up just short in the bid to oust Rep. Gloria Johnson. The session lasted seven hours.

“The vote over rules violations for Jones split along party lines 72-25, while the vote in Pearson’s case was 69-26. Johnson’s vote was 65-30. Expulsion from the House requires a two-thirds majority of the total membership.”

All Shootings at Schools From 1970-Present

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All Shootings at Schools From 1970-Present
All Shootings at Schools From 1970-Present

K-12 School Shooting Database: “All shootings at schools includes when a gun is brandished, is fired, or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time, or day of the week.

Unlike other data sources, this information includes gang shootings, domestic violence, shootings at sports games and afterhours school events, suicides, fights that escalate into shootings, and accidents.”

This information is recorded to document the full scope of gun violence on school campuses.”

To view additional graphs based on the data, Click Here.

Beto O’Rourke Spoke for Millions When He Confronted Texas’ Gun-Obsessed Governor in Uvalde

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Texas Tribune: “Beto O’Rourke caused a dramatic scene Wednesday when he angrily confronted Gov. Greg Abbott at his the governor’s news conference about the school shooting, yelling, ‘This is on you.’

“O’Rourke, who is running for governor against Abbott, moved to the third row of the Uvalde High School auditorium about 15 minutes after the governor began speaking to the media alongside other state and local leaders onstage. When Abbott concluded his comments and introduced Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, O’Rourke rose and walked to the stage and spoke directly to Abbott.

“’You are doing nothing,’ O’Rourke said. ‘You are offering up nothing. You said this was not predictable. This was totally predictable when you choose not to do anything.’”

Immediately after interrupting Abbott’s news conference spoke to the media. “There are family members that are crying as we speak,” he said. “There are family members whose hearts are broken. There’s no words that anybody shouting can come up here and do anything to heal these broken hearts.”

California Senate Passes Gun Bill Based on Texas’ Abortion Bounty Hunter Law

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PoliticalWire: “Shortly after the nation’s latest mass shooting, which killed at least 18 children at an elementary school in Texas, the California Senate passed a bill Tuesday to allow private citizens to file suit for at least $10,000 — a bounty-hunter provision modeled on a Texas abortion law — against makers or sellers of untraceable ghost guns or illegal assault weapons,” the [paywalled] San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Schumer Vows to Bring Background Checks to Senate Floor

Buck Banks

“We cannot seem to finish grieving one tragedy before another takes place. It is a reminder that we must confront a devastating truth in the United States: An unrelenting epidemic of gun violence steals innocent lives with alarming regularity.”

— Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), renewing his promise to set a floor vote on universal background checks for gun buyers after two mass shootings in one week, reports Politico.

Privately, Republicans Support Gun Control

Buck Banks

“Republicans will say privately that they know they are on the wrong side of contemporary political thinking — and reality — when it comes to gun policy. Many of them will say off the record or on background that they could get away with supporting banning assault weapons, banning high-capacity magazines and tightening background checks. But they need Trump to embrace these ideas as well — and consistently. The president tends to pop his head up, support something and then retreat.”

— Playbook

Most Americans Favor Tougher Gun Laws, But Have Little Faith in Congress to Act

Buck Banks

69%

Most Americans want tougher gun laws, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. It showed that 69 percent of Americans, including 85 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans, want strong or moderate restrictions placed on firearms. But among those who want tougher gun laws now, only 14 percent said they were “very confident” their representatives understood their views on firearms, and just 8 percent felt “very confident” their elected representatives would do anything about it.