New research publicized Wednesday by The Hill shows “The majority of gun owners are concerned about gun violence and support policies to reduce gun-related injuries and deaths,” but Republican gun owners are not too keen about bans on so-called “assault weapons” or “large capacity magazines.”
Buried in the 34-page report by “97Percent,” a group described as a “gun safety organization,” is the revelation that a ban on modern semi-auto rifles only draws 34.1 percent support among gun owners and only 16.2 percent of Republican gun owners.
The numbers are even lower when it comes to banning original capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Among all gun owners, only 28.8 percent reportedly support such a ban, but only 15.5 percent of “Republican gun owners” would support such a prohibition.
The 97Percent report also says only 32.2 percent of gun owners surveyed support allowing law enforcement discretion to approve concealed carry permits.
According to their website, 97Percent is a bipartisan group of gun owners and non-gun owners who are “bringing gun owners directly into the conversation about gun safety — creating spaces where both gun owners and non-gun owners can have an honest, civil discussion about ways to reduce gun violence, while respecting the 2nd Amendment.”
As detailed by the New York Daily News, this groups leadership is an interesting bunch. The Daily News Editorial Board wrote, “Members of the advisory board include former Brady Campaign and current Citizens Crime Commission President Richard Aborn; Abra Belke and John Goodwin, former NRA lobbyists; former Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida, who joined with Democrats to push for better background checks after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018; and former Long Island Rep. Steve Israel.”
According to The Hill, “Three-fourths of gun owners surveyed said they are concerned about the frequency of school shootings, and 71 percent said the same of mass shootings…Seventy percent said they also want to help find a way reduce gun-related injuries and deaths.”
One of the suggested means of reducing these fatalities and injuries involves mandating a state gun permit law. The 97Percent report asserts such laws “are the only identified policy that is effective in reducing mass public shootings.”
“Such a system requires a state-issued firearm permit in order to purchase or possess a gun,” the report says, “and in order to obtain a permit, a background check is conducted at the state and local level, focusing on any history of violent crime. There is a strong evidence that state-level gun permitting systems are effective in reducing both firearm homicide and firearm suicide rates.”
However, this contention may have a high hurdle to overcome, when one considers the language of the Supreme Court’s June ruling in the Bruen case, striking down New York State’s gun permitting scheme.
“We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need. That is not how the First Amendment works when it comes to unpopular speech or the free exercise of religion. It is not how the Sixth Amendment works when it comes to a defendant’s right to confront the witnesses against him. And it is not how the Second Amendment works when it comes to public carry for self-defense.”
A broad interpretation of this statement might suggest the court turned thumbs down on requiring a permit in order to “purchase or possess a gun.” Simply put, government permission cannot be required before exercising a constitutionally-enumerated fundamental right.
The 97Percent report acknowledges, “The Supreme Court’s recent ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen makes the need for violent misdemeanor laws more critical. Based on the Court’s ruling, it is likely that most, if not all, ‘may issue’ laws for concealed carry permits will be struck down. These laws give law enforcement discretion to approve a permit, which the Court ruled is inconsistent with the Second Amendment.”
The “violent misdemeanor laws” to which the report refers would prohibit anyone convicted of a violent misdemeanor from having or buying firearms. Currently, only violent felony convictions carry this penalty, the report says.
The 97Percent report also advocates for “Red Flag” laws, which gun rights advocates view with skepticism because such laws allegedly lack strong due process provisions.
97Percent promises to release “Part II” of its report next month.
