Senate Bill 2 would require Delawareans planning to buy a handgun to get a permit, unless they are a qualified law-enforcement officer, are retired law-enforcement officer or have a concealed weapons permit. (Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels)

Handgun permitting bill generates intense discussion

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Senate Bill 2 would require Delawareans planning to buy a handgun to get a permit, unless they are a qualified law-enforcement officer, are retired law-enforcement officer or have a concealed weapons permit. (Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels)

Senate Bill 2 would require Delawareans planning to buy a handgun to get a permit, unless they are a qualified law-enforcement officer, are retired law-enforcement officer or have a concealed weapons permit. (Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels)

Dotted around the committee hearing room were around a dozen people wearing red “Moms Demand Action” shirts, who gave tearful accounts of why Delaware should take action against guns.

On the other side, many disabled veterans were just as passionate, saying that a proposed handgun permitting bill would disregard the sacrifices they made to protect the United States.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted for a bill, three members in favor and two on its merits, that would add a permitting process for handguns.

Senate Bill 2, which is sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth Lockman, D-Wilmington, would require someone planning to buy a handgun to get a permit, unless they are a qualified law-enforcement officer, are retired law-enforcement officer or have a concealed weapons permit.

The permitting process requires gun buyers to:

• Be 21 years or older.

• Have completed a firearms training course within the past five years. The course must include instructions on safe handling of firearms and ammunition, safe storage of firearms and ammunition and child safety. It must also include shooting fundamentals and skills, a review of state and federal laws, self-defense and confrontation management. The training also must include live fire shooting exercises conducted on a range using at least 100 rounds of ammunition.

• Fill out a form from the State Bureau of Identification, which has 30 days after receiving the permit to approve or deny it.

Delawareans, according to the bill, can’t be prohibited from buying a gun and can’t pose a danger of causing physical injury if supported by probable cause.

Before public comment at the committee meeting, Sen. Bryant Richardson, R-Laurel, said his life was recently threatened. While he has a concealed-carry permit, he’s worried for people who don’t.

“Recently my wellbeing, my safety was challenged,” he said. “Someone threatened me. I do have concealed carry, I went through that process, so I’m exempt from this law. But what if I didn’t? What if my life was threatened and I didn’t have this? I couldn’t defend myself, my house and my wife. I would have to wait to go through this process. In the meantime, I think there’s a risk to my safety.”

“The permit policy is focused only on handguns,” Lockman responded.

“There are other types of firearms that may be an option that isn’t subject to this policy as well. I know when I did my due diligence to visit a gun shop and talk about the process there and talk about myself as a woman without a lot of training or experience, they were guiding me to an option that wasn’t a handgun that they thought would be more appropriate to my skills, if I were need to protect myself in my home.”

Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, asked Lockman what would happen if the State Bureau of Identification cannot approve a handgun permit within 30 days.

She said she didn’t want to take the time to get someone to answer the question at the moment because of the large amount of public comment – more than 30 people spoke, mostly in favor – but would find out after the meeting.

Public comment on handguns

Paul Johnston, a member of the NRA and a disabled veteran, said as a veteran he shouldn’t have to do more work to access a right he fought to defend.

“What I didn’t like about this bill is we paid for our Constitution with our bodies and you’re throwing us out with this bill. You take a look at what’s actually happening here,” he said.

“Our rights are guaranteed to us. We fought for them on your behalf, and now you’re telling us that we’re going to have to pay for our rights again because we’re veterans? This is just wrong.”

Stevie Keeley said that SB 2 would make it harder for women dealing with domestic violence to purchase a handgun for self defense.

“A permit to purchase is nothing but a barrier,” Keeley said.

 “It’s a barrier for a woman that was just beaten and has to go home to the same place she was just beaten at, only to find out that now she is not only going to have to worry about her safety for the next 30 days, but she’s also going to have to find a place for training. Most of the training facilities in our state are completely bogged down. There’s waiting lists. That’s a barrier.”

Speaking out for the bill were parents, students, gun violence advocates and Sarah Stowens, manager of Delaware government affairs and policy at Christiana Care.

They said that it would decrease gun violence, it is constitutional, guns are the leading cause of suicide, guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens, that the cost is worth the safety it would provide.

Sydney McLean, a founding member of the Delaware Students Demand Action chapter, related SB 2 to a recent shooting at Christiana Mall.

“I experienced my biggest fear since childhood. I was at the Christiana Mall at the same time as an active shooter,” McLean said. “I had to call my mom and tell her how afraid I was and then sit and wait in the parking lot for an hour waiting for my friend’s parents. My experience leads me to emphasize SB 2 today. … I believe if this bill was placed earlier, this could have been prevented.”

“There is no stronger policy to prevent community violence and suicide, the two categories that most plague Delaware, than permit to purchase legislation,” said Traci Murphy, executive director of the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence.

“Gun violence is right now the No. 1 cause of death for children and teens in our nation and in our state. … We can do so much to change this horrifying and preventable statistic.”

The fiscal note for the bill estimated would cost around $10.4 million to administer the bill in the first year from recurring costs and one-time costs. It would cost $8,826,145 in fiscal 2025 and $8,904,736 in fiscal 2026, with costs rising an estimated 2% each year.

The bill has 15 additional sponsors and cosponsors, all Democrats.

 

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