In light of every mass shooting, politicians desperately search for a solution, only to succumb to partisan fighting. But with Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) introducing the Securing Our Children Act of 2018, Republicans are looking to turn political talking points into tangible solutions.

Katko’s bill, co-sponsored by Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) and announced Friday, creates a path to address mass shootings in the most comprehensive manner, as opposed to rushed and overly broad reform. If passed, the bill would create a bipartisan commission with members appointed by the president and party leaders of both the House and the Senate.

The commission would address the need for bipartisan efforts and examine topics that frequently enter the gun debate, including potential links between mental illness and acts of violence, the current state of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and current state and federal gun regulations. The commission would then present a written report on its findings within a year.

On gun control, Democrats often preach overhauling solutions — typically on a grand scale — that ignore what would have been necessary to prevent tragedies and infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms. Many signs at the March for Our Lives rallies across the country on Saturday emanated this. Some called for an AR-15 ban, a full semi-automatic weapons ban or the outright restriction of an individual’s right to own a gun.

This isn’t too far off from the type of outcry seen after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. In the succeeding Congress, President Barack Obama endorsed Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s efforts to institute a federal assault weapons ban. The bill drew a lot from the 1994 federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, but would have been far more restrictive and made the changes permanent. In the end, Feinstein and other Democrats aimed too high, and the bill failed to the point that 15 Democrats voted against it.

There’s certainly a solution to be had, and many proposals are already being put up. The STOP School Violence Act, which reauthorizes a Department of Justice program to stop school threats, has already passed the House. Florida senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson have also introduced a bill to encourage “red flag laws” in states, which would give officials authority to take guns from individuals with relatives who believe they are a threat to themselves or others.

These are great first steps that will go a long way, but we need more than that for effective solutions. With Katko’s commission, the American people can get a sense of which resolutions will truly work and which rely more on restricting the constitutional rights of responsible citizens.

Brandon Ross is a freshman broadcast and digital journalism major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at bross02@syr.edu.

Published on March 27, 2018 at 7:15 pm