4 States Weighed Tougher Gun Control in Nov. 8 Election

The presidential race wasn’t the only thing we were paying attention to on November 8. Four states had ballot measures relating to tougher gun control. Here’s how the people voted in Maine, California, Nevada and Washington.

Maine and Nevada
Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control group founded by billionaire former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, funded measures in Nevada and Maine. Similar to the presidential polling that predicted Clinton would win but was wrong, polls suggested the measures would pass. Everytown spent millions to defeat the measures. Supporters of the measures wanted it to pass for expanded background checks on nearly all gun sales and transfers to close gaps in the federal system that they say allow people who would generally be ineligible such as felons, domestic abusers, and the mentally ill to buy firearms from private sellers at gun shows and online without a background check.

The Maine and Nevada initiatives would have required anyone buying or receiving a gun to pass a background check at a federally licensed dealer, with limited exceptions for hunting and transfers of guns between family members. Anyone who has a felony or disqualifying domestic abuse conviction would be denied, which is federal law.

The measure was defeated in Maine by 51 percent of votes to 48.9 percent, or about 12,700 ballots. Nevada voters approved a similar proposal by 50.5 percent to 49.6 percent.

Washington
In Washington state, advocates who successfully campaigned for a background check law in 2014 wanted Initiative 1491 to pass. That initiative would allow judges to issue orders temporarily seizing guns from people who are deemed a threat. For instance, if a someone in a family is threatening to harm themselves or to harm other family members, the family members could ask a judge to approve temporarily removing that person’s guns.

That measure won by 71 to 29 percent.

California
California’s lieutenant governor, Gavin Newsom, led the campaign for Proposition 63 to pass. A first-of-its-kind law, this Proposition outlawed possession of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. It also requires anyone buying ammunition of any kind to pass a background check and obtain a state permit. It also makes it a crime to not report lost or stolen guns. Also, the Proposition provides a process for taking guns away from people who are convicted for a felony.

California voters approved Proposition 63.