CNN reports Sen. Lummis may be open to legislation addressing gun violence

Jun. 8—CHEYENNE — U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., may be more open than she has appeared to be in the recent past to the idea of addressing gun violence with federal legislation, according to recent comments, as reported by CNN.

In a story published Tuesday evening on the national news organization's website, the senator expressed her surprise at an apparent barrage of calls from constituents conveying a "willingness to be open to suggestions" when it comes to reducing gun violence in the country. About 20 people, mostly kids, were killed late last month by a lone gunman at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. This incident helped spur members of Congress to again consider gun and mental health legislation.

"I've been a little surprised at the phone calls we've been getting and how receptive Wyoming callers seem to be to address guns in some manner," Lummis is quoted as saying. "I am of the opinion that it's more of a mental health issue than a gun issue. But, you know, I'm listening to what people from Wyoming are saying."

Lummis told CNN that the callers generally haven't said whether they are for or against specific policies.

"They're worried in large part about, as I've said, the mental health issue, and Wyoming has the highest suicide rate in the nation," the senator said.

CNN said Lummis "is now considering voting for a package of legislative remedies that could include changes to red flag laws, mental health programs, school security and opening juvenile criminal records to gun background checks." Such proposals have been part of bipartisan conversations among other U.S. senators.

"That's something that I'd be inclined to want to look at," Lummis told CNN of the possible legislative components. "So many juvenile records seem to be expunged and the clock is set back to zero the day they turn 18. So, I think that is something worth considering shortly."

Still, she told the news site that "it's too soon to tell" whether she'd vote for the potential legislation. Her office would not confirm whether Lummis stands by her remarks, when repeatedly contacted Wednesday by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Immediately following the shooting at the school in Uvalde, which left 19 children and two teachers dead, the senator told the New York Times that expanding background checks "would not be acceptable for the state of Wyoming." Lummis has had an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.

Lummis' remarks to a national media audience and the contrast to her more guarded comments to Wyoming news media, in part, point to the fact that the legislative talks are fluid, said University of Wyoming political science professor Jim King.

"She's certainly not committed to anything" in terms of specific legislation, King said by phone. "She seems open to looking at the potential legislation, rather than slamming the door shut right off the bat."

Barrasso's mind unchanged

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., on Wednesday was sticking by his earlier remarks that indicate he would oppose any gun measures, even potentially along some of the lines that other senators of both parties have been discussing. Barrasso also has had an "A" rating from the NRA.

"We all agree that we must find ways to curb violent crime and keep guns out of the hands of criminals," Barrasso said in a statement that was similar to his previous comments shortly after the Texas school massacre. "Legislation that takes away our constitutional rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment will not solve it. The focus should be on better protecting our children, securing our schools and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. We must also find a better way to identify troubled individuals early so we can prevent tragedies like this one from happening again."

When asked by the WTE Wednesday for confirmation of comments Lummis gave to CNN, Abegail Cave, Lummis' press secretary, offered a statement by email. Cave did not answer follow-up questions.

"Senator Lummis is heartbroken by the tragedy in Uvalde and has heard similar sentiments from people throughout Wyoming," Wednesday's statement said. "Instead of attacking Americans' constitutional right to bear arms, we should be focusing on how to prevent this kind of dangerous behavior with mental health treatment and hardening schools.

"No child should feel in danger while at school, and parents shouldn't have to worry about their child's safety while at school. Senator Lummis is a strong defender of the Second Amendment, and will always defend your right to bear arms."

Invoking Enzi

In Washington, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said that he and Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Thom Tillis, R-N.C. and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have been discussing any possible steps that could be agreed upon "that might have prevented some of these tragedies."

"If we do this, is there a chance or a probability that we could save lives in the future? To me, that should be our focus," Cornyn said on the floor of the Senate Wednesday. "We are making steady progress. It is early in the process, but I'm optimistic about where things stand right now.

"There's a lot of common ground on things we can agree on here: safer schools, better mental health resources, coming up with additional assistance that will harden our schools, and provide greater deterrence and protection for our students."

The office of Sen. Murphy, who has been described as one of the lead Democrats helping to coordinate such bipartisan conversations, did not comment right away Wednesday. Cornyn's office had no comment on Lummis' remarks, other than pointing to his recent remarks.

In those remarks, Cornyn invoked the late Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., saying that he helped to "get a lot done" in congressional negotiations with Democratic legislators. "The fact of life is we are not going to agree with anybody 100% of the time," Cornyn recalled Enzi saying. Cornyn's lesson is that "we have to understand that no one is going to get everything they want."

Hannah Black is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice reporter. She can be reached at hblack@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3128. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahcblack.

Jonathan Make is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's assistant managing editor and editor of the Wyoming Business Report. He can be reached at jmake@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3129. Follow him on Twitter @makejdm.