Top Democrats split on gun agreement

A group of 10 Republican and 10 Democratic U.S. senators reached an agreement on gun safety measures.

Georgia’s top two Democratic candidates, however, have not embraced the proposal with equal zeal.

The deal — made in the aftermath of a massacre at a Uvalde, Texas, school and a rash of other mass shootings — would:

Enhance federal background checks for gun buyers younger than 21 to include a review of mental health and juvenile justice records.

Provide financial incentives to states to create red flag laws that allow authorities to temporarily seize weapons from persons deemed by a judge to be a threat to themselves or others.

Fund mental health resources and school security.

Ban gun sales to certain domestic violence offenders.

Tighten definitions for gun sellers to comply with background check requirements.

Establish new criminal penalties for gun traffickers and straw purchasers.

The agreement, however, does not provide for broader background checks, set new limits on which weapons can be sold, establish a mandaPolitics tory federal red flag rule or raise the minimum age limit to purchase certain rifles.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, up for reelection in November, was happy enough with the compromise to endorse it, saying in a tweet that “inaction isn’t an option” after the high-profile shootings.

“Glad we’ve come this far — now, let’s get this done,” Warnock wrote.

Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor, said the package falls short, especially in a state where it just became legal to carry a concealed weapon without a license.

“While it is important that we see some progress in gun legislation, it is insufficient for the challenges we face here in Georgia,” Abrams said before vowing to beef up the state’s gun regulation.