This month, Townhall reported how Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed a bill into law that banned so-called “assault weapons” in the state. This came in the aftermath of a shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, where a transgender 28-year-old broke into a school and shot six people, three of which were children. Police gunned down the shooter.
State Sen.Keith Wagoner, a Republican who served in the Marines, said that “I know the difference between a weapon of war and a modern sporting rifle. The people who wrote this bill for the state of Washington don’t,” according to the Seattle Times. A new poll published this week asked for Americans’ opinions on various gun control policies and if they support a ban on sporting rifles.
According to the poll, 87 percent of voters favor requiring criminal background checks on all gun buys. Eighty-one percent of voters favor improving enforcement of existing gun laws. Eighty-one percent support raising the legal age to buy a gun to 21. Eighty percent support requiring mental health checks on gun buyers. That same percentage of people support allowing police to take guns from those considered to be a danger to themselves or others. Seventy-seven percent said they support requiring a 30-day waiting period on gun purchases.
The majority of Americans support the 2nd Amendment AND want to do more to address gun violence with common sense policies: pic.twitter.com/pZBxwHkWO9
— Alyssa Farah Griffin (@Alyssafarah) April 28, 2023
In the poll, 61 percent of respondents said they favor banning so-called “assault rifles” and semi-automatic weapons. Assault rifles usually refer to the AR-15 and the AK-47. Forty-five percent said they would encourage more citizens to carry guns against attackers.
Broken down by political party, 84 percent of Democrats favor banning assault weapons. Only 36 percent of Republicans feel the same. Only 27 percent of Democrats favor citizens carrying guns, while 61 percent of Republicans support it.
Forty-three percent of respondents said that passing stricter gun control laws would make the country safer. Thirty-one percent said it wouldn’t make a difference. In 2016, 52 percent of respondents said gun control laws would make the country safer.
When it comes to President Joe Biden, only 35 percent approve of his handling of guns. The only issue he did worse on was the economy.
This week, Townhall covered how Republican Gov. Jim Pillen of Nebraska signed a permitless carry bill into law.
“This bill sends the message that Nebraska’s a state that supports the Second Amendment and the rights of Nebraskans to defend themselves,” the governor said at the bill signing.
