Advocates for safe gun laws in the Granite State gave several hours of public testimony Wednesday, regarding a package of firearms-related bills moving through House committees. Many of those who testified are supporting bills to close background-check loopholes, create a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a gun, and keep guns out of schools. Rep. .
Advocates of gun-law reform face an uphill battle to push their ideas through the Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly, but say public sentiment on firearms safety may be moving some to action. Groups seeking to change Indiana gun laws say recent high-profile shooting incidents heighten the need for universal background checks, storage regulations, raising the minimum age to buy and carry a gun, and the banning of homemade or "ghost" guns. A poll by the Pew Research Center found more than 70% of Americans believe gun violence is either a "moderate" or "major" problem in the country. .
Illinois has become the ninth state to approve a statewide ban on assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines. On Tuesday, the Protect Illinois Communities Act passed by the General Assembly along party lines, bans AR-15s and other military-style weapons, and limits long-gun magazines to 10 rounds and handguns to 15. The measure was passed just six months following a mass shooting at a July 4th parade in Highland Park, which left seven people dead and 48 injured. .
Community members continue to voice concerns about gunshot-detecting technology being considered in Portland. At a recent Inter-Faith Peace and Action Collaborative meeting, opponents of the technology known as ShotSpotter pointed out its weaknesses. Jonathan Manes, attorney at the MacArthur Justice Center in Chicago, where the ShotSpotter surveillance system has been implemented, said there are no published studies about how the technology responds to loud noises, and notes every time it is triggered, police are expecting to find someone armed and potentially dangerous. .