Bills introduced at State Capitol would make it illegal for anyone under age 21 to possess a semi-automatic assault weapon. The current age is 18. But it’s questionable whether Senator Ron Latz and Representative Jamie Becker-Finn will get hearings on their bills in the Republican-controlled legislature. Latz says, “This is a very hot political issue and I think both in the House and the Senate, the leadership is gonna have to make a decision on how much heat are they willing to stand and what impact might it have on the upcoming elections for the House.”
Latz says what could make the difference is public pressure from businesses, health professionals, and young people. “Two thousand or so kids the other day showed up here, and we haven’t even gotten to the big walkout that everyone’s talking about,” he says.
Bills sponsored by Latz and Roseville Representative Jamie Becker-Finn would also make it a crime to transfer assault weapons to underage persons.
More in Thursday’s news conference: