IOWA CITY, Iowa – The campaign for tighter gun laws that inspired unprecedented student walkouts across the country still faces an uphill climb in a majority of states, an Associated Press review of gun legislation found.
The AP survey of bill activity in state legislatures before and after the Parkland, Fla., school shooting provides a reality check on the ambitions of the “Enough is Enough” movement. It suggests votes such as the one in Florida, where Republican lawmakers defied the National Rifle Association to pass new gun regulations, are unlikely to be repeated in many other states, at least not this year.
The student-led activism might yet lead to future reforms, but for now, the gun debate among most lawmakers still falls along predictable and largely partisan lines, with few exceptions, according to the analysis.
FILE – In this Thursday, March 1, 2018 file photo, Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes, center, speaks during news conference in Salt Lake City. In early March 2018, state lawmakers defeated the Republican house speaker’s version of a “red flag” law, which would have allowed a family member or roommate to ask a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone who is acting dangerously. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)Because Congress shows no sign of acting, state legislatures dominate the national debate over guns. And major changes won’t be easy to achieve in statehouses that are mostly controlled by the gun-friendly GOP.
Republicans have sponsored more than 80 percent of bills that would expand gun rights, while Democrats have introduced more than 90 percent of bills to limit them. The total number of gun-rights and gun-control bills identified by AP statehouse reporters is roughly equal – about 300 in each category.