CNN
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Nevada Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo on Wednesday vetoed three Democratic-led gun control bills that sought to raise the age to own certain firearms and restrict who can obtain them.
“I will not support legislation that infringes on the constitutional rights of Nevadans,” Lombardo said in a statement defending the first vetoes of his term. “Much of the legislation I vetoed today is in direct conflict with legal precedent and established constitutional protections. Therefore, I cannot support them.”
The bills had passed the legislature on Monday and now go back to the chambers where the governor’s veto could be overridden. However, Democrats only have a supermajority in the state Assembly and would need at least one Republican to vote with all Democrats in the state Senate to override the veto in that chamber.
The debate over gun control, a longtime issue, has only intensified as the country grapples with a record rate of mass shootings, and Democrats argue that stricter regulations such as background checks , are common sense security measures, while many Republicans say the restrictions would violate the Second Amendment.
Several Nevada Democrats criticized Lombardo’s move, accusing the governor of prioritizing “partisan politics” over the safety of residents.
“I desperately wish the governor would put the safety of Nevadans above partisan politics,” said House Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui, who sponsored two of the three bills vetoed Wednesday.
“After his time to comfort the families of the Oct. 1 massacre, I hoped the governor would have the basic empathy to realize his responsibility to prevent future mass shootings and gun violence tragedies,” he said. add in a statement, referring to the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting that killed 60 people.
Among the bills vetoed Wednesday, a measure seeks to raise the age requirement to own shotguns or semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and make it illegal to help a person under 21 obtain such firearms. Members of the Armed Forces and law enforcement officers would be exempt from the age requirement.
According to arrest records and charges filed, several recent mass shootings have been carried out by suspects under the age of 21. This week, police identified an 18-year-old man as the gunman who killed three people and wounded six others in New Mexico. Last month, six people under the age of 21 were charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Alabama.
Another measure, AB 354, aims to ban so-called ghost guns, which are self-assembled and untraceable firearms, by prohibiting the sale or purchase of unfinished frames or receivers. It will also restrict the possession of firearms within 100 feet of a polling place after threats against poll workers increased in the wake of the 2020 election.
The third measure, SB171would prohibit firearm possession by those convicted of committing or attempting to commit a violent hate crime.
As the debate over gun control continues to rage, states are moving in opposite directions with legislation to curb or strengthen safety measures.
This week, Maryland’s Democratic governor, Wes Moore, signed several gun safety measures that were immediately met with a lawsuit from the National Rifle Association. Last month, Michigan Gov. Jay Inslee, also a Democrat, signed a ban on most assault weapons sales.
On the other hand, Nebraska and Florida recently enacted concealed carry without a permit, joining 25 other states that have adopted such measures.
At the federal level, President Joe Biden signed the first major bipartisan gun safety legislation in decades last summer, strengthening background checks and increasing funding for mental health programs. However, gun control advocates have called on lawmakers to pass stronger reform bills, including a federal ban on certain firearms.
