House to vote on gun regulation

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have proposed eight bills to slow illicit gun trafficking, encourage safe storage of firearms, and raise the legal age to buy some semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21, among other changes. The committee is expected to vote Thursday on the proposals, which were raised during an emergency markup in the wake of a mass shooting last week at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Democratic leaders are optimistic about passing the bills through the House, but they will need the support of at least 10 Republicans to advance the legislation in the evenly divided Senate.

What about “red flag” laws? The House is slated to vote next week on a bill sponsored by Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., that would nationalize red flag laws currently in place in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Red flag laws allow a citizen or law enforcement official to petition the court to confiscate a firearm from a potentially violent person or bar the individual from getting one. On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of senators also met to try to find common ground on gun legislation across party lines.

Dig deeper: Read Daniel Darling’s article in WORLD Opinions on why tackling mass violence requires all of us.