With a growing number of mass shootings across America, debate over gun control verses the right to bear arms is heating up in the Nevada Legislature.
Assembly Bill 354 would prohibit the possession of firearms within 100 yards of an election site.
AB 354 is being led by Democratic Las Vegas Assembly Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui.
Jauregui says she was once quiet about gun control, but after the trauma felt after One October, she committed to using her position to enact gun control.
Jauregui says barring guns near election sites is a common-sense place to start.
“The reason this bill is so important to me is that we have to do whatever it takes to protect our most fundamental right. The right for our voice to be heard. And, Nevadans should be able to exercise that right without fear of intimidation. And, election workers should be able to go and work at an election site without the same fear of intimidation,” said (D-Las Vegas) Assembly Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui.
The Nevada GOP stands unified in their opposition to AB354, and all gun control legislation presented by Nevada Democrats.
Republican Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant tells us that Nevada republicans are committed to protecting the second amendment, so they take a critical eye toward any bills regarding gun control in the name of safety.
“One of our other concerns is that there are these drop boxes just randomly put, just during those two weeks. Nobody knows exactly where they are and so just law-abiding citizens that have a concealed weapon carry, could all of a sudden go to the grocery store, or go to the post office, or one of the postal drop boxes, and there could be a box there and they could be violating this law,” said (R-Herrington) Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant.
Ab 354 also works define language that would prevent those who can't pass background checks from buying untraceable "ghost guns."
Jauregui is also leading AB355, which raises the age for Nevadans to buy or possess assault weapons from 18 to 21 years of age.
“In the state of Nevada you have to be 21 to purchase a hand gun, and so we are just raising the assault weapon age to match what is already state law. We already know that people who are between the ages of 18 to 20, are three times likely to commit homicide, and you know six of the nine deadliest mass shootings in the last five years have been committed by people under the age of 21,” said Jauregui.
Republican Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant argues that if you have the right to vote at age 18, all of your rights should be protected under the Constitution, including the Second Amendment.
“After 18 you can get a tattoo, right, and that's the time when the law says you're mature enough to make those decisions and the mistakes that go along with them. So, that's our feeling in terms of everybody's rights, once you're 18, need to be protected under the Constitution regardless of whether you're 20 or 21,” said Gallant.
Gallant tells us that Governor Joe Lombardo said in his State of the State address that he will only sign bills with bipartisan support.
