Republican majority pushes to loosen firearm restrictions, not tighten them
By Dustin Gardiner | The Republic
For state Reps. Daniel Hernandez and Randy Friese — the Arizona Legislature’s two most vocal proponents of tougher gun laws — the trajectory of their political careers were shaped on a single day: Jan. 8, 2011.
On that day, Hernandez rushed to the side of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot in the head outside a Tucson-area supermarket. Hernandez, then a 20-year-old intern in her office, held his hand over Giffords’ wound to slow the bleeding.
Related: Grantham’s bill would allow Tasers, Mace, stun guns on university campuses
Friese, a trauma surgeon, tried unsuccessfully to save the life of 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green before readying Giffords for the first surgery that would ultimately save hers.
