background checks
VA reporting requirement draws conservative backlash
Seventeen veterans die by suicide every day. Twelve of those 17 are from a self-inflicted firearm injury. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says those numbers underscore the agency’s continued obligation and commitment to reduce self-harm by its members. But on Tuesday, the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs was focused on H.R. 705, the […]
At the NC Senate, even gun limits favored in Fox News poll fail to gain traction
When Senator Danny Britt (R-Robeson) rose to explain Senate Bill 650 last Monday night on the Senate floor in hopes of securing the bill’s approval, Senator Natasha Marcus (D-Mecklenburg) was quick to offer a bit of tongue-in-cheek praise. “The ‘Gun Violence Prevention Act,’ I love the title, Senator Britt,” said Marcus. “I love it so […]
Make no mistake, it’s the guns that make us different
It’s hard to remember now, but three-plus decades ago when the phenomenon of steroids as a performance enhancing drug for athletes first burst upon the American public’s consciousness, there were those who initially defended the practice and/or denied that it provided users with an unfair advantage. After Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’ astonishing world record victory in the 100 meter finals of the Seoul Olympics...
Frustrated Democrats call for GOP help on federal gun laws after mass school shooting
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday implored Senate Republicans to work with Democrats to pass bipartisan gun control legislation, following a mass school shooting that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers in Texas. Tuesday’s massacre was the nation’s second-deadliest mass school shooting since another at Sandy Hook Elementary a decade ago.
Bill to abolish state pistol permit passes, but a veto is likely
By a 27-20 party line vote, the North Carolina Senate passed a bill (HB 398) Wednesday that would repeal the state's pistol purchase permit requirement. The measure had passed the House in May after a heated debate, as Policy Watch previously reported.
New poll: Positions on gun laws important to voters this election cycle
New polling, released Monday, shows candidate positions on gun safety matter to voters as as they head to to the polls this week. The poll, done by Schoen Cooperman Research on behalf of Everytown for Gun Safety, was a survey of battleground state likely voters — including 475 from North Carolina. Key findings in the survey […]
After Parkland, N.C. Democratic lawmakers call for package of gun reforms
More than a month after a gunman killed 17 in a Florida high school, several North Carolina Democrats called on state lawmakers Monday to pass a package of gun reforms that’s expected to include an expansion of background checks, raising the age for purchasing assault weapons, a ban on bump stocks and additional funding for […]
Director of voucher-eligible private school in Raleigh accused of sex with children
According to ABC 11, the director of a Raleigh-area private school, which is eligible for publicly-funded vouchers from North Carolina, has been charged with having sex with children. From ABC 11’s report: The Wake County Sheriff’s Office has charged the 54-year-old director of a Raleigh private school with having sex with children. According to an […]
This morning’s “must reads” on America’s gun violence crisis
Here are two hopeful reads to start your Friday regarding the United States’ absurd, NRA-constructed gun violence crisis: #1 is this morning’s lead editorial in the Charlotte Observer – “Let’s get logical about guns.” After pointing out that Democrats have made minor headway in pushing for a couple of small but important expansions of federal […]
New poll: Background check position is boosting Hagan (video)
One of the nation’s most influential and widely respected pollsters has new and encouraging data for Senator Kay Hagan and all those who support background checks for gun purchasers. In a poll released yesterday, Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling (see the video below) reported the following: “PPP’s newest round of polling finds that Kay Hagan […]