On Wednesday, Nevada Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed three Democratic-led gun control proposals that sought to raise the age of handgun ownership and restrict access.
“I will not support legislation that infringes on Nevadans’ constitutional rights,” Lombardo declared, justifying his initial vetoes. “Much of the legislation I vetoed today violates legal precedent and constitutional protections. I cannot support them.”
After passing the legislature Monday, the measures return to the chambers to override the governor’s veto. The state Senate needs at least one Republican to join with all Democrats to override the veto, but Democrats only have a supermajority in the Assembly.
As the nation faces a record number of mass shootings, Democrats say stricter gun control measures like background checks are commonsense safety measures, while Republicans say they violate the Second Amendment.
Nevada Democrats criticized Lombardo for putting “partisan politics” before of people’ safety.
“I desperately wish the Governor would put the safety of Nevadans over partisan politics,” said Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui, who sponsored two of the three legislation rejected Wednesday.
“After his time consoling the families of the 1 October massacre, I expected the governor to have the basic empathy to realize his responsibility to prevent future mass shootings and gun violence tragedies,” she said, referring to the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting that killed 60.
One bill vetoed Wednesday would raise the age limit to own semiautomatic shotguns or rifles from 18 to 21 and make it illegal to help a minor buy one. Law enforcement and military personnel are exempt from the age restriction.
According to police records and charges, some recent mass shootings were committed by under-21s. New Mexico police identified an 18-year-old as the shooter who murdered three and wounded six this week. Six under-21s were accused last month for a Sweet 16 birthday party massacre in Alabama.
AB 354 prohibits the sale or acquisition of unfinished frames or receivers to stop ghost guns, untraceable, self-assembled weapons. After the 2020 election, it will limit weapons within 100 feet of election sites.
SB171, the third bill, would prohibit violent hate crime offenders from owning weapons.
States are passing different gun control laws as the debate heats up.
The National Rifle Association sued Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore last week after he enacted gun safety regulations. Michigan Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee banned assault-style firearm sales this month.
Nebraska and Florida joined 25 other states in enacting permitless concealed carry.
Last year, President Joe Biden signed the first bipartisan gun safety legislation in decades, improving background checks and financing mental health services. Gun control activists want bolder reform proposals, including a nationwide ban on certain rifles.