By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Daily Star
Resistance from legislative Republicans to Gov. Doug Ducey’s newly released school safety plan could leave it short of votes.
House and Senate Democrats declared the plan a nonstarter within hours of its printing because it doesn’t require background checks when firearms are sold by individuals and at gun shows. Rep. Randy Friese, D-Tucson, said it makes no sense to say some people cannot buy guns from licensed dealers when “loopholes” in the law allow them to buy one anyway.
But Ducey also lacks the universal support of his fellow Republicans, who are anxious about provisions allowing police officers to seize guns and courts to hold people for psychological evaluation. Several Republicans told Capitol Media Services Wednesday that they would oppose the measure if there aren’t sufficient protections not only for an individual’s Second Amendment rights to possess a gun, but also the Fourth Amendment rights against improper seizure of person and property by the government.
