Washington DC (670 KBOI News) – Less than a week into the new Congress, two new gun control bills have been introduced.
The Universal Background Checks Act of 2019 would make it mandatory for all firearms transfers to go through a Federal Firearms License holder, and a background check be performed.
Lars Dalseide with the National Rifle Association says it goes beyond just gun sales.
“This would affect law-abiding gun owner in Idaho, because they’d have to run a background check every time they would buy or loan a gun.” said Dalseide. “Maybe you have a cousin who wants to borrow a pistol, after there have been a few robberies in her neighborhood. Before you can make any of those loans, first they have to go through an FFL (Federal Firearms License) background check.”
So what’s wrong with that? Dalseide says as with any background check law, it would apply only to law abiding citizens, and not criminals, who don’t follow the law, anyway.
He said background checks didn’t prevent mass shootings in San Bernadino, Sulphur Springs Texas, Parkland Florida, Newtown Connecticut, and others.
He predicts the House version of the bill will pass, but he thinks it won’t get through the Republican-controlled Senate. He advises gun owners to call their Senators and Representative to make their voices heard.
