Ban On Gun Bump Stocks Fails To Be Heard In Arizona House

Published: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - 5:35pm
Updated: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - 10:28pm
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(Photo via azleg.gov)
Randall Friese

An Arizona lawmaker failed to get his bill on banning bump stocks, like those used in last fall’s Las Vegas massacre, heard on the House floor Tuesday as a majority of representatives voted against his motion.

Tucson Democrat Randall Friese stressed that his bill does not ban guns, but rather a device that helps guns fire quicker than a human is capable of squeezing a trigger.

“This is not about a gun. This is about an accessory to a gun that allows a weapon to fire hundreds of rounds a minute, that allows this weapon to be more lethal," Friese said.

But Oro Valley Republican Mark Finchem argued that violent video games that teach children to kill without remorse should be regulated as a more effective means of behavior modification.

“What I am absolutely stunned by is the proliferation of video games that teach our children to kill, that teach our children to kill effectively and that teach our children to kill without retribution," Finchem said.

According to an October 2017 NPR-Ipsos poll, over 80 percent of Americans favor a ban on bump stocks. President Donald Trump called for a bump stock regulation Tuesday as well.