Delawareans debate if residents need to receive training before buying a handgun

Several hundred Delawareans traveled to Legislative Hall on Wednesday to debate what will likely be the most prominent gun bill to be voted on this year.

The legislation would require Delawareans to obtain a permit and complete training before purchasing a handgun. A previous version of this bill was passed in the state Senate last year but stalled in the House of Representatives.

Before a Delawarean buys a handgun, this bill would require they need to take a firearm training course sometime in the past five years. This wouldn’t apply to all residents: Current and retired police officers and residents who are allowed to carry concealed weapons would be excluded, as these groups have already received the necessary training.

Once the class is completed, a person would apply for a permit from the state. They can appeal the decision if they are denied. Pennsylvania and Delaware are the only states in the region to not have enacted this type of legislation.

THE PRESS ROOM: Delaware lawmakers seek to require permit, training before buying handgun: The Press Room

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to release this bill and it will, once again, likely pass with an overwhelming Democratic majority in the chamber.

Republicans and gun organizations have been adamantly against versions of this bill.

Last year’s version of the bill was noticeably the only gun legislation not part of the historic package brokered by Democrats, which ultimately increased the firearm purchasing age, banned assault weapons and strengthened background checks.

“We certainly had some sticking points last go-round that have been addressed,” said Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth "Tizzy" Lockman, prime sponsor of the bill.

One of the most significant alterations, she said, was now exempting those who are allowed to conceal and carry a deadly weapon.

This bill also requires the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security to provide vouchers to cover the entire cost of required training for anyone whose household earns less than 200% of the federal poverty guideline.

These changes, she said, should “clear the path" in the House.

Lockman said the cost of getting a handgun permit could vary, depending on the training one receives. She estimated this could cost between $100 and $500. It will cost an additional $60 to get a fingerprint. There is no actual cost for the permit itself.

More than two hundred people sat in a filled-to-the-brim Senate on Wednesday, with many wearing red shirts, representing the support of gun violence prevention measures. Those in support of the bill spoke about how they believed this bill would significantly reduce violence, particularly homicides and suicides.

Several pointed to how gun violence is the leading cause of death of children here in Delaware and throughout the country.

“It’s easy to shake our heads and clutch our pearls and say, ‘Oh, it’s too bad. It’s so sad. Thoughts and prayers,’” Traci Manza Murphy, executive director of the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence said in a press conference before the hearing.

“What’s hard is leadership on this issue,” she said “What’s hard is standing up to the vocal minority that insists on shouting down any common sense measure.”

Gun advocates questioned how this bill would reduce crime, with several being critical of Attorney General Kathy Jennings. Others resented the control the state was trying to exert over residents. A group of military veterans was particularly vocal against the bill because they would be required to undergo training and receive a permit.

Paul Johnston, a New Castle County resident, served for a decade in the U.S. Army and became disabled as a result of Operation Desert Storm. He told lawmakers Wednesday he found this bill to be an insult to his service.

“We paid for our Constitution with our bodies,” he said. “Our rights are guaranteed to us. We fought for them on our behalf.

And now you’re telling us we have to pay for them again.”

Even if it does pass both chambers and receive Gov. John Carney’s signature, this issue could likely end up in court. Gun groups filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware looking to block the bans on assault weapons and high-capacity firearm magazines.

Attorney General Jennings, in a press conference, said this bill is “fully constitutional.”

“This law, should it be challenged,” she said, “we’re there.”

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware permit-to-purchase bill at center of debate in Legislature