Failed gun-storage bill missed target

WHY DID HB 9, the safe firearm storage bill, fail? Because there was a disconnect between rural and urban interests. If such a bill is ever to pass, these parties need to find common ground, recognizing that urban youth violence is a serious problem while protecting legitimate youth firearm activities.

Minors have legitimate reasons to access firearms, e.g., hunting, informal target shooting, 4-H or rural, casual shooting activities. The bill could have gotten more buy-in if an explicit addition was made to recognize that minors have legitimate reasons, other than armed defense, to be accessing rifles and shotguns; minors cannot possess handguns on their own. The bill could have explicitly stated it is not a crime if a minor fetches from storage, with responsible approval and training, a firearm to be used for a lawful youth activity.

The bill improved as it moved forward. In the original, while safe storage was mandated, no credit was given if a minor defeated a good-faith storage system. The substitute bill provided legal protections for adults by clarifying how “safe storage” would be credited and also gave credit for training . ... Still, rural representatives in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee hearing were concerned the bill would impede lawful and traditional youth firearm activities, something that could have been explicitly solved by a minor re-write.

... To effectively promote safe storage, we must reach out to and enlist gun owner organizations and police to cooperate with gun violence prevention organizations to reinforce safe gun ownership behaviors and further, we must make safe storage devices readily accessible and affordable. Creating new law alone may have negligible effect because the folks who most desperately need to hear the message may be out of the loop unless we reach out to them. Charging adults after kids shoot someone misses the point of promoting safe storage before any harm is done.

KHALIL J. SPENCER

Santa Fe