Senators introduce federal ‘red flag’ bill

WASHINGTON—A bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation Thursday to temporarily keep firearms out of the hands of anyone showing warning signs of violence. They filed the bill in response to last month’s deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla., which killed 17 people. Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., call their bill a common-sense proposal to save lives. They modeled it after state “red flag” laws that encourage people to contact authorities when they see someone who poses a threat to themselves or others. Courts can then temporarily block the flagged person from purchasing or owning a gun. “Senator Blumenthal and I disagree on many issues regarding the Second Amendment, but we strongly agree restricting access to firearms by those who pose an imminent danger to themselves or others is a strong step forward,” Graham said in a statement. Police identified past threatening behavior by Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz but failed to take action. President Donald Trump said during a televised meeting with lawmakers last month that he favors taking guns away from certain individuals who could be dangerous. Republicans cautioned after the meeting that they don’t want to abridge due process rights. Last week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said most Democrats support the legislation Graham and Blumenthal offered Thursday.