That gun violence prevention bill included only a handful of gun control provisions, such as expanding background checks for gun purchasers under age 21 to include records from when they were minors. That would be “a big step backwards, and that would make any future progress even less likely,” he said.Ī bipartisan gun violence reduction law that was enacted last year arose out of specific conversations between legislators in response to mass shootings, Coons said.
“If there is a broader sense that the Supreme Court is beginning to move in an action that restricts our range of action for gun safety, that may create a political sense that this is just not something we are going to be able to legislate on,” Coons said.Ĭoons, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said such a decision also could affect the dynamic between lawmakers when discussing what legislation would be possible.
