LEAGUE ACTION IS NEEDED TO PUSH FOR IMPROVED GUN SAFETY.

A bill known as “the permit-to-purchase a handgun” bill (SS 1 for SB 2) is expected to be voted on in the State House this coming Thursday, March 7. We need to reach out to our Representatives to make sure they plan to vote YES. If s/he is on the fence or opposed, hearing from constituents could make all the difference. To find contact information (phone number and/or email address), go to: https://legis.delaware.gov/Chambers/House/AssemblyMembers

It has passed the Senate, but similar action in the House can never be assured.

There are many reasons to support this bill. As a reminder, here is the League’s policy position on this topic:

Gun Policy - The League supports licensing procedures for gun ownership by private citizens to include a waiting period for background checks, personal identity verification, gun safety education, and annual license renewal. The license fee should be adequate to bear the cost of education and verification. [LWV Impact on Issues 2022-2024, p. 153-155] [1].

SS1 for SB2 conforms to the requirements of our policy.

In the US, gun violence has become a public health crisis [2]. Firearms are now the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-19 years [3]. Here in Delaware, an average of 123 people die by guns each year, and 50 percent of gun deaths are homicides. Gun violence costs Delaware $1.4 billion each year, of which $44.4 million is paid by taxpayers. [4]

While much attention is paid to mass shootings with assault-style firearms, the vast majority of firearm homicides [5] and suicides [6] are committed with handguns. SB 2 would require anyone seeking to purchase a handgun to first obtain a permit that requires them to be fingerprinted and to attend live firearm and safety training. These requirements, along with a built-in waiting period, play a critical role in preventing people with a history of violence or at risk for suicide, as well as gun traffickers, from obtaining firearms [7].  SB2 would also prohibit a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, as well as unlicensed persons, from selling or transferring a handgun to an individual unless the individual has a handgun-qualified purchaser permit.

“Requiring a license or permit to purchase a handgun reduces firearm homicides and suicides, as well as trafficking and shootings of law enforcement officers. It is one of the most effective policies we have to reduce gun violence.”
—Cassandra Crifasi, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Department of Health Policy and Management and Co-Director of the Center for Gun Violence Solutions [8].

Objections may be made because of the cost to implement this measure. However looking at dollars and cents fails to take into account the potential for immense savings from: the reduction in lives lost or forever shattered; the reduction in emergency room visits and trauma care; the reduction in costs associated with law enforcement, legal proceedings, and incarceration; and the reduction in chronic fear and trauma experienced by communities besieged by gun violence.

Let your Representative know why this measure is good for Delaware. With a concerted push, we can get this bill into law!

You can view details about the bill here:
https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=130284

And the full text of the bill:
https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=130284&legislationTypeId=6&docTypeId=2&legislationName=SS1forSB2

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Sources...
[1] https://www.lwv.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/LWV_ImpactOnIssues2022-2024.pdf