gun control

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced S. 2 – Sandy Hook Elementary School Violence Prevention Act of 2013 – on January 22nd. The bill is a Potemkin Village of a bill: it is a facade with nothing behind it. That is nothing behind it – yet.

And therein likes its danger. The bill as it is written now consists solely of a list of items that “express the sense of the Senate”. The co-sponsors of the bill are the usual Democrats who favor more gun control. I fear that this bill will be used as the aggregator for all the gun control proposals that Reid believes he can get passed. These will come as amendments to the bill and given that it is Reid’s bill, he’ll control the debate and the amendments.

The text of the bill is below:

113th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2
To reduce violence and protect the citizens of the United States.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 22 (legislative day, January 3), 2013
Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. BROWN, Mr. COONS, Ms. HIRONO, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. ROCKEFELLER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL
To reduce violence and protect the citizens of the United States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Sandy Hook Elementary School Violence Reduction Act’.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

It is the sense of the Senate that Congress should–

(1) support the efforts of the President of the United States to reduce violence in the United States;
(2) promote common-sense proposals for preventing gun violence;
(3) provide law enforcement officers with the tools necessary to combat violent crime and protect communities, and protect themselves;
(4) ensure children can attend school free from the threat of violence;
(5) support States and local districts to ensure schools have the safe and successful learning conditions in which all students can excel;
(6) provide tools for identifying individuals that pose a threat to themselves or others, so they can receive appropriate assistance;
(7) keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals and individuals who are not lawfully authorized to possess them;
(8) promote information-sharing that will facilitate the early identification of threats to public safety;
(9) mitigate the effects of violence by promoting preparedness;
(10) provide training for educational professionals, health providers, and others to recognize indicators of the potential for violent behavior;
(11) examine whether there is a connection between violent media and violent behavior;
(12) enable the collection, study, and publication of relevant research; and
(13) expand access to mental health services, with a focus on children and young adults.