New bill could remove guns from people in crisis
Lexington, Ky. (WTVQ) — With the 2024 legislative session beginning in just a few days, Kentucky lawmakers are prepared to hear a bill on removing guns from people in crisis.
Senator Whitney Westerfield spoke about the bill and how likely he believes it is to pass in 2024.
“In Kentucky 2021 there were 900 plus deaths by firearms, over 500 of those were suicide by firearm,” said Sen. Westerfield. “That’s even before you get to the mass shooting events. There is some data to suggest that when you look at those nationally, about 87.5% of those shooters involved in those cases have undiagnosed or misdiagnosed mental illness of some kind.”
Sen. Westerfield plans to present a new bill that will allow for the temporary removal of guns from people who have shown signs they could be a risk to themselves or others.
Sen. Westerfield took over this bill from now Congressman Morgan McGarvey and Senator Paul Hornback back in 2022.
“When the Uvalde shooting happened. It really disturbed me then, it continues to disturb me now to think about the children at the Uvalde school. They’re all kids the age of my kids.”
And since he took it over, there has been some backlash about how this affects a citizens’ second amendment right.
“I believe in shaping good public policy to try to solve problems and this is a problem. If someone out there who wants to be a nay-sayer or opponent to this, if they have a better solution to this problem, I’m all ears. Please bring it forward and file your bill.”
Sen. Westerfield is still drafting the bill that he will present to the legislative session, which begins on Jan. 2nd.
By: Sydney St. Claire
Source: WTVQ