Reactions around the Borderland to renewed gun control efforts

Across the country Tuesday, the debate continues on – how and if to put controls in place – on the access to guns.

A new bipartisan proposal was put forth by a group of senators Tuesday in reaction to other recently failed gun control votes. New Mexico Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich stood among them.

The new proposal would prohibit people on the terrorism watch list from buying a firearm, with an improved appeals process for Americans and green card holders on the list. Upon appeal, the burden of proof would be on the government. Supporters of the measure said there are roughly 109,000 people on the list, mostly foreign nationals.

The proposal also includes a look-back provision to see if anyone on the more expansive terrorism screening database has tried to buy a gun in past five years.
“It’s time to start putting progress in front of politics,” Heinrich said. “This is a straightforward proposal. I think we’re all heartsick at the kind of terrible Groundhog Day feeling that we’ve had as we’ve seen shooting after shooting in this country.”

“There is no right answer,” said Richard Garcia, director of training at Sportsman’s Elite gun pro shop.

In Garcia’s opinion, one of the biggest factors is the decision that an individual gun store employee makes with every sale. He said seller discretion is something they exercise every day.

“The biggest impact on stopping guns from getting into bad guy’s hands – and I see it here, I see it at other gun stores I have worked at before – is that it all starts with the person behind the counter like myself,” Garcia said. “We have the ability to look at someone and say ‘Hey, we’re not going to be able to sell you a gun today, unfortunately.’ And they could get upset, and we have refused sales that way.”

ABC-7 also reached out to other local elected officials. Congressman Beto O’Rourke sent this statement:

“We need universal background checks, the ability for Centers for Disease Control to study gun violence (something they are now prevented by Congress from doing) and an end to selling military weapons to the public.”