Permit to Purchase
Part of the problem with federal gun laws is that they permit private sellers not to do a background check. By creating a permit to purchase law, any citizen interested in purchasing a weapon would first need to go to their local police station in order to receive a permit to buy a weapon. These laws are currently in place around the country, and when Missouri repealed their version deaths by handguns increased 25%.
The police will be able to do additional background checks that private sellers may not be able to do and have information more readily available. It may help prevent a person known to be violent or disturbed locally the chance to buy a weapon.
Temporarily Bar Active Alcohol Abusers from Firearms
We currently have laws that block those on illicit drugs from owning firearms, but there are no laws prohibiting people with severe alcohol addiction from owning a handgun. I support a temporary ban on gun possession among individuals who have had, in the past five years, two or more convictions for DUI or any crime that indicates alcohol abuse.
Background Checks
I support legislation that would mandate background checks for any and all private sales and trades. The truth is the "gun show loophole" is a misnomer: Reputable dealers and sellers are required at all times to do background checks. That said, private sellers do not meet this requirement.
Increase and Standardize Basic Waiting Periods
In some states you may have to be 21-years-old and wait 3 days to buy a handgun, but you can walk in and, with no prior history, are able to walk out with an AK-15 style gun at only 18-years-old. While it can be agreed that it is up to the states to make certain gun laws, we can create federal minimums in regards to these policies.
I would sponsor legislation that would mandate 5-Day Waiting Periods for all first-time gun gun buyers regardless of the type of weapon they're buying. This period gives time for more thorough background checks and a "cooling-off" period.
Lost and Stolen Guns
Straw Gun Purchases is the practice of buying guns for another person who is not legally able to buy one. While this practice is obviously illegal, many people have gotten around it by selling a "lost" or "stolen" gun and never reporting this.
If elected, I will make it a requirement to report any lost or stolen gun within 48 hours of the discovery of the theft with hefty fines and possible imprisonment if not done so or any attempt is made to hide the fact.
"Bump Stock" Ban
After the tragedy in Las Vegas there was a national conversation to ban "bump stocks". A "bump stock" is an attachment that you can add to a semi-automatic weapon to make it act like a fully-automatic weapon.
I will call for a ban on not only "bump stocks", but on the manufacture of any and all devices designed to make a semi-automatic weapon perform like a fully-automatic weapon. Anyone making one will become subject to criminal liability if the device is used in a murder.
Military Database Requirement
It was revealed in November of 2017 that the U.S. Military had not properly reported people who should not be able to purchase a weapon.
I will sponsor legislation ensuring that anyone who deserves to be on that list must be reported within 48 hours and immediately if the person is dishonorably discharged.
Assault Weapon Ban
In 1994 we, as a nation, took the stance that assault weapons were not something we wanted on our streets, yet the law was written to allow manufactures to continue making those weapons only without certain parts. During the time the ban was in place we saw a drop in mass shootings and crimes involving those weapons. Since the ban has been lifted we have seen a massive rise.
I will work on bringing back the Assault Weapon Ban and ensure that the loopholes that allowed manufacturers to still produce them are closed. This, along with the banning of anything to turn a semi-automatic weapon into a fully-automatic weapon, will work to reduce mass shootings in this nation.
Ammunition Tax
We often talk about guns in this nation, but rarely do we talk about ammunition. The average round of ammunition for everything from a handgun to a large semi-automatic weapon ranges from 20 cents to 50 cents. If you go online you can find a box of 1000 .223 rounds for a AR-15 Style Rifle for $330. If we're looking for a way to reduce gun violence overall in this nation, and not just mass shootings, we need to look at something different.
I would call for a 1000% tax on every round of ammunition sold in the United States to a civilian. Not on the bulk, on every single round. The average box of bullets that holds 20 rounds would go from $9 to $40. Affordable for home defense, but a deterrent to those seeking to use them for illegal means. Exceptions would be made for shooting ranges and police departments, but the average citizen would still have access to guns and ammunition.