Bipartisan Senate Deal Struck for Gun Reform in Wake of Mass Shootings

After two major mass shootings in the past month, it looks like our elected leaders are finally doing something…as a new bipartisan framework for gun reform has been reached.

20 US senators announced they had reached a deal for the bones of potential legislation they hope to draft soon and present to the Senate for a vote – made up of 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans, who outlined the key provisions they want address.

Here are the key takeaways from their proposed package…tougher background checks and scrutiny of gun buyers under 21, more money for states to impose new flag laws red and additional funding for mental health treatment. In addition, school security has been enhanced.

Background checks for those under 21 would include reviewing their juvenile criminal record, if any, and their medical records. Red flag laws would give state-run law enforcement the power to temporarily remove firearms from those who pose a risk to themselves or others. It’s unclear what the criteria for this might be, but based on the name…anything that stands out as a red flag could presumably be used to intervene and stop unusual behavior.

There’s more…their framework also aims to close the “boyfriend loophole”, which means those who abuse their SOs can’t get their hands on a gun. Additionally, they seek to crack down on gun buyers as well as illegal unlicensed gun dealers.

That’s not all President Biden said he wants new gun control reform, but it’s a major first step – and the fact that so many Republicans are on board means he has a real chance of passing the Senate without filibuster, assuming they maintain their positions.

Of the four senators who led the charge… Chris Murphy (D), John Corny (R), Kirsten Sinema (D) and Thomas Tillis (R). Other Republicans include Romney, Portman, Toomey, Blunt, Graham, Cassidy, collins and burr. A handful of them will retire this year.

Again, it’s not the ban on assault weapons that many are calling for…but it’s something for now. There’s an even larger committee in Congress working on more potential legislation.

The news comes after the Shooting at the school of Uvalde — where 21 people were shot, including 19 children — and the Buffalo shooting …where another young man went out of his way to target black people. In both cases, an AR-15 style weapon was used.