By Ashley Murray, Post-Gazette Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — A group of senators, including a key bloc of Republicans — among them Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey — put forward a “commonsense, bipartisan” deal on gun reform Sunday amid a nationwide surge in high-profile mass shootings.
The deal announced Sunday afternoon would support so-called red flag laws, fund mental health initiatives, flag domestic violence perpetrators in the national background check system, and expand the review process for weapons buyers under 21.
Though the proposal neither includes the wide-ranging measures passed along party lines in the House last week nor President Joe Biden’s call for an assault weapons ban, the legislation could mark the first significant movement on gun laws since the mid-1990s.
In a tweet published Sunday night, Mr. Toomey described the bill as protecting “the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans while making our communities safer.”
Related gun control news stories:
Senators Reach Bipartisan Deal on Gun Safety (NY Times)
Gun Deal less than Democrats wanted, more than they expected (NYT)
450 marches nationwide against gun violence (EP Blog)
Tens of thousands march for gun control (BBC News video)
Senators call on YouTube to crack down on ‘ghost gun’ videos (ABC)
Unregulated but legal hemp derivative delta-8 thrives in Pa
‘Ghost Guns’ Trafficking Ring Taken Down in Bucks County
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