JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — No doubt it's a hot debate. HR 127 is a gun bill proposed by Democrat Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. It focuses on registration and licenses.
Gun rights activist Colion Noir is calling it "pure, unadulterated Grade A (bleep)."
Let's look at some points people like and don't like about the bill.
Could your ex stop you from owning a gun?
First, Noir, an attorney and vocal gun rights advocate, objects to part of the bill that requires a psychological evaluation for anyone seeking a gun license.
Noir says the very idea of checking with an ex-wife or an ex-husband is ridiculous. He says, "So the peron who does not like you - -at best --- or absolutely hates you -- at worst -- will be in the position to strip you of your 2nd Amendment rights"
To quote the actual text of the bill, "As part of the psychological evaluation, the licensed psychologist interviewed any spouse of the individual, any former spouse of the individual, and at least 2 other persons who are a member of the family of, or an associate of, the individual to further determine the state of the mental, emotional, and relational stability of the individual in relation to firearms."
Could you be forced to pay an insurance fee of $800 to own a gun?
The bill calls for a fee to carry an "insurance policy that insures the person against liability for losses and damages resulting from the use of any firearm by the person." Some say the $800 fee would be an annual fee, although the language of the bill isn't quite clear on that.
One well-known person in Jacksonville, who objects to that, is Ron Davis. His son, Jordan, was shot and killed at a Southside gas station in an argument over loud music. Davis does not fully support or tear down the bill, but he objects to the $800 fee.
He says, "A battered woman may not have 800 dollars. Yet she feels she needs to defend herself." He says it's not safe or fair to expect her on a low income or no income to pay that high fee. He says, "Why put her at risk?"
"Z" Farhat also objects to the proposed fee. He's the manager of the gun department at Green Acres in Jacksonville. He says, "It's an industry killer for our industry." He says his customers are beginning to talk about HR127. He objects to the burden on his family business. "We're a mom-and-pop store...eight families living out of this one store. So it's scary," Farhat says.
Could a mental health evaluation help stop gun violence?
The bill calls for possibly denying a gun license. The text of the bill says:
“(i) the individual is prohibited by Federal law from possessing a firearm; or
“(I) with a mental illness, disturbance, or diagnosis (including depression, homicidal ideation, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, or addiction to a controlled substance (within the meaning of the Controlled Substances Act) or alcohol), or a brain disease (including dementia or Alzheimer’s); or
“(II) on account of conduct that endangers self or others."
That provision, plus the psychological evaluation mentioned above, is catching the attention of Davis. He says if someone had evaluated his son's killer, who's now in prison for life, "Someone might have found out he was much too aggressive in his thought pattern about why he had a gun."
Would a public database telling where you store your guns and how many guns you have be a shopping list for criminals--or help law enforcement?
The bill requires "the registration with the Bureau (ATF-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) each firearm present in the United States."
Our First Coast News Crime Analyst, Mark Baughman, says that would be NO NEW information to law enforcement. "Typically, they can go to ATF and make an inquiry if a person had purchased a gun," he says.
But mandating gun owners tell the ATF how many guns they have and where they are stored and making that list public worries Baughman, who has 35 years of experience in law enforcement.
He says, "Well, now you're publicizing you have guns at your house .. maybe one. .. maybe 10... maybe 20. Who knows?"
Baughman says, "It's going to pose a danger to the person who owns a gun. Now they're subject to be broken into."
Would a mandatory training course be a good idea?
Critics say no. It could mean a low-income person has to lose work time to take a class.
Baughman, however, likes the idea. He says people don't know enough about gun safety and gun storage. He says, "You see a number of shootings in Jacksonville, where children get guns that are lying around."
NEXT STEP FOR HR 127
HR127 is heading to the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. House. As of Feb. 24, it has no co-sponsors.
There's a long way to go for the bill if it were to become law.
But Farhat is worried gun bills like 127 might be passed now because the Democrats control Congress. He says, "The other bills have fizzled out because the Republicans have controlled one of two chambers."
The gun safety group, Moms Demand Action, according to the Palm Beach Post, is optimistic gun bills can now get passed.
Founder Shannon Watts says, "It has been 25 years since the federal government passed a gun safety law. That wait is over."
To read the text of HR127 click here.