After years of loosening gun restrictions, at least 11 state legislatures will consider tightening gun regulations this year, Stateline.org reports in a roundup story. New York already passed sweeping gun restrictions last week. But at least six states have proposed easing gun restrictions, and two states (Illinois and Wisconsin) have already backed off gun legislation at the urging of National Rifle Association (NRA) members.
There is a rough political line in the gun discussions: states with relatively strict gun laws, such as New York, Connecticut, California and Maryland, are calling for more gun regulation, and states with more open gun policies (Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma) are calling for additional school safety measures, including armed officers in schools. States are also watching out for possible federal action on gun regulations pushed by President Obama. Last Wednesday, he signed 23 executive orders, including funding for more school resource officers, improvements in background checks, clarifying what mental health services are available under the Affordable Care Act and directing federal research on the causes and prevention of gun violence.