An assault weapons ban will no longer be included in the Senate Democrats gun control proposal. The reason for dropping the bill was because of a lack of support in the Senate, according to Democrat leaders.
Sam Zuidema, a second-year in history and political science and a chairman for Ohio State College Republicans, said he did not agree with the assault weapons ban and is happy that it was taken out of the bill.
“It was a horrible bill to begin with,” Zuidema said. “Assault weapons, I believe, make up less than 2 percent of all gun crimes.”
Zuidema said he does agree with parts of the proposed legislation.
“The bill is probably a lot better now that they took the assault weapons part out of it,” Zuidema said. “The reason they did that is because it had no chance of passing.”
Multiple reports indicate that Senate Democrats have a better chance of getting their gun control proposal passed by omitting the assault weapons ban.
U.S. lawmakers proposed a bill to ban assault weapons after an assault-type weapon was used to kill 26 people in the Newtown, Conn., Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in December.
Among those who have called for increased gun regulation in the wake of the Newtown shooting is Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
“When our children and families are no longer safe at our schools, in our malls, and in our movie theaters, then we as a country must take action,” Brown told NBC4 Monday. “We can and must act to ensure tragedies like this never happen again.”
The ban on assault weapons would have replaced a previous assault weapons bans that expired in 2004.
Sen. Robert Portman, R-Ohio, voiced opposition to a renewal of a ban on assault weapons, saying that the original ban was ineffective.
“Why are they pushing it again?” he said at a GOP dinner in Butler County, Ohio, Saturday. “The only thing it is going to do is further restrict the Second Amendment rights that we all have as citizens of the United States.”
Mike Newbern, a third-year in industrial and systems engineering and the state director of Ohio Students for Concealed Carry, said pulling the assault weapons ban out of the gun control legislation was a good decision.
“It reflects that there are people who are starting to consider facts instead of relying on emotion to make decisions about our rights,” Newbern said.
Mallory Kimble, a third-year in re-exploration and secretary for Ohio State College Democrats, disagreed and said College Dems is disappointed the assault weapons ban was dropped from gun control legislation.
“We do hope that the remaining of the gun control bill passes,” Kimble said.
The remaining proposed gun control legislation includes tougher background checks and new gun trafficking laws and will be introduced to the Senate in April. Republican Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah have said they will filibuster the proposed gun control legislation, according to multiple sources.