BREAKING: U.S. Senate finishes vote on gun proposals
After yesterday’s rejection of every single proposal relating to the “Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013,” including those that would strengthen gun rights, the U.S. Senate did, in fact, agree on a couple of amendments this morning.
The Senate voted in favor of the Barrasso amendment and the Harkin amendment.
The Barrasso amendment, proposed by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) and endorsed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, would make it so federal funds would be withheld from any state or local government that releases private gun ownership data outside of criminal investigations, or info on victims of domestic violence.
This measure includes releasing private information of individuals who have to obtain a license to own or carry a firearm in their locality or state.
“This release of private gun ownership information not only puts the lives of gun owners and law enforcement victims of domestic violence at risk, but also their unarmed neighbors,” Barrasso said on the Senate floor.
The inspiration for the amendment stems from when a New York newspaper published the names, addresses and even an interactive map of area gun owners in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. The act sparked national outrage.
The final vote for the Barrasso amendment was 67-30.
The second was called the “Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act” proposed by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). This proposal would reauthorize and improve programs related to mental health and substance use disorders.
Ideally this measure would provide important services to help identify children with mental illness and get them treatment.
“I think it’s just again a very important part of again what we ought to be doing to reduce violence and to respond to the mental health care needs of our young people,” Harkin said yesterday.
The final vote for the Harkin amendment was 95-2.
The post BREAKING: U.S. Senate finishes vote on gun proposals appeared first on Guns.com.
2013-04-18 12:31:44
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