April 22, 1999
Web posted at: 3:43 a.m. EDT (0743 GMT)

DENVER (AllPolitics, April 22) -- The contentious issue of gun control was thrust again into the political spotlight Wednesday by the tragic school shooting in Littleton, Colorado.

"A teen-ager can only do so much damage with his fists," said Sen. Charles Schumer, (D-New York).

In Colorado, two state legislators were prompted by the shootings to scrap two bills related to gun control issues, one allowing state law to override local ordinances on gun control and another that would have simplified the issuance of permits for concealed weapons.

But many argued that government can't provide all the answers to a complex problem.

But Rep. Bob Barr (R-Georgia), the National Rifle Association's chief advocate in Congress, said the problems that create "young demons" like the Colorado shooters "go far deeper" than access to guns.

"The solution's going to have to come from our schools," Barr said.

President Bill Clinton has not mentioned gun control in his public remarks about the tragedy. White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart said Wednesday afternoon that Clinton's support for tightly restricting youth access to guns is well known but there is paltry information on where the weapons used at Columbine High School, including two sawed-off shotguns, came from.

"I think there's a premium on not jumping to conclusions," Lockhart said.

In fact, Clinton's overall message since the shooting was that government doesn't have all the answers.

"Parents should take this moment to ask what else they can do to shield our children from violent images and experiences that warp young perceptions and obscure the consequences of violence," he said.

That message was echoed in Congress.

"We need to talk to our children after they get home from school, every night at the dinner table, on weekends to find out what they are thinking, what they are feeling. The solution is found with our children," said GOP Rep. Jennifer Dunn of Washington.

"In fact, I'm sure the answers are not all here and they are not in state legislatures and city councils," said House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri. "We really have to figure out how to change the human heart."

On CNN's "Early Edition,'' Colorado Gov. Bill Owens said he didn't know if new laws would avoid tragedies like the school shooting.

"Well, I'm not sure there are any solutions legislatively. I think that we have to look at television, we have to look at cable, we have to look at the gratuitous levels of violence in our theaters," he said. "We as parents have to look at the Internet and really ask ourselves again, are we doing what we can ... to stop this from happening in the future. "

Lockhart said the administration is preparing a crime bill that would include extending the three-day waiting period in the Brady Bill which lapsed last year.

Also included in the bill would be provisions holding adults criminally responsible for allowing juveniles easy access to weapons, a lifetime ban on possession of weapons for juveniles who are convicted of violent crimes, a requirement that gun dealers provide a safety lock for guns, and more funds for federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents.

Similar proposals did not get anywhere during the last session of Congress. Lockhart said the bill does not relate directly to the Littleton massacre but "it's important that we continue to build on the initiatives the president has talked about for the last six years."

Attorney General Janet Reno, speaking on CNN, said common-sense measures are needed to keep guns away from children.

"It is important that we make sure that guns are not in the hands of young people who do not know how to safely and lawfully use them or have indicated an unwillingness to do so," she said.

Reno traveled to Denver on Wednesday night and is scheduled to meet Thursday with law enforcement officials and groups providing victims' assistance in Littleton.

As Colorado legislators pulled their proposals, the NRA, the most powerful pro-gun lobbying organization in the United States, said it would scale back its annual meeting in Denver on April 30-May 2.

The NRA backed both bills that were scrapped.

Seminars, luncheons and festive ceremonies were canceled "to show our profound sympathy and respect for the families and communities in the Denver area," the NRA said.

The scheduled gathering of NRA members will be held Saturday, May 1, followed later by a reception with Rep. J.C. Watts (R- Oklahoma).

Denver Mayor Wellington Webb sent a letter Wednesday to NRA Executive Vice President Wayne La Pierre, urging him to cancel the convention "due to the tragedy that has occurred in our community."

City officials also have suggested that the NRA remove billboards from the Denver area featuring actor and group President Charlton Heston brandishing a rifle with the phrase "Join me."

In the Colorado Legislature, the bill scrapped by state House Majority Leader Doug Dean (R-Colorado Springs) would have simplified the process allowing citizens to get permits to carry concealed weapons.

The measure has already passed the state Senate 24-11. A House panel had planned to take up the measure Wednesday, but legislative leaders decided to postpone action in light of Tuesday's shootings. Then Dean pulled the bill entirely.

Dean reported receiving calls at his Colorado Springs home, some of them with "veiled threats," after the Littleton shootings.

Brown said the issue was somewhat of a surprise in the state legislative session.

"It's an issue that appeals to a minority of voters who feel very strongly that they need their weapons and they need their rights protected to keep arms and carry them," Brown said.

The other bill was introduced by Rep. Gary McPherson (R-Aurora). It would have allowed state gun laws to override local gun legislation. McPherson was opposed to ordinances passed by the city of Denver that regulated the way weapons are carried in automobiles.

McPherson said his decision was made "out of deference to the victims and their families. Now is not the time to have this debate."

Local government leaders have criticized the bill, which would require sheriffs to grant concealed weapons permits if applicants pass a number of conditions.

Dean initially said the Littleton carnage might have been offset if a faculty member, or administrator had been armed.

But Colorado House Speaker Russell George, a Republican, said he had received messages from citizens expressing the opposite view.

"I'm getting e-mails from people saying: 'See what happens when you have guns? And you legislators are talking about allowing more guns in society, and here's the harm that comes,'"he said.

Under the Senate version of the bill, people couldn't carry their handguns on school grounds or into schools, government buildings or bars.

Earlier this month, Missouri voters voted down an attempt to lift a ban on concealed guns that dated to the era of Jesse James. Known as Proposition B, it failed 52 percent to 48 percent. The proposal was heavily supported by the NRA.

The vote marked the first time a state put the question of concealed weapons to the voters. Thirty-one other states allow citizens to carry concealed guns, but those measures were enacted by legislators.

Under the proposal, Missouri residents would have needed a second permit to carry a concealed weapon. Applicants would have had to undergo criminal and mental health background checks, take at least 12 hours of state-approved training and have no violent offenses on their records for at least five years.

The measure won in 91 mostly rural counties, but failed by wide margins in the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City.

About 35 percent of eligible voters turned out, the highest ever for an April election in which local offices are up for grabs, Missouri officials said.

Proposition B was an attempt by pro-gun lawmakers to pass a concealed-weapons law and avoid contending with a threatened veto by Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan.

Support for Proposition B was heavily funded by the NRA, which provided more than $3.7 million, well more than 95 percent of the money behind the measure. The measure was viewed as an important test of gun sentiment in the nation's heartland.

The NRA funds paid for 700,000 mailings, 60,000 yard signs and huge advertising buys on television and radio.

Supporters had said allowing law-abiding people to pack guns would keep the criminals guessing.

Opponents were heavily outspent, receiving just one-fourth the funding. But they got some high-profile help from first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who recorded a telemarketing message targeted at women in which she said Proposition B is "just too dangerous for Missouri families."

James, the Wild West's most notorious outlaw, was a native of Kearney, Missouri. The state banned concealed weapons in a crackdown on gunslinging in 1875, seven years before James was shot to death in St. Joseph, Missouri, by a member of his gang.

CNN's Bob Franken and John King and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Wednesday, April 21, 1999

• Bauer officially jumps into 2000 race
• House members want Europeans to chip in for costs of Yugoslav strikes
• Albright to Congress: "We cannot fail' in Kosovo
• School shooting sparks gun control debate
• Janet Reno to visit scene of Colorado school shooting
• Presidential hopefuls react to school shooting
• Starr promotes three staff members
• Deficit rises in March; increased tax refunds, military spending cited
• Education flexibility bill passed
• GOP lawmakers want more college aid
• Democrats unveil Medicare drug plan
• GOP proposes Social Security surplus restrictions
• First lady discusses Middle East
• Government details children's online privacy
• IRS oversight board still not named
• House panel approves bill requiring reports on costs of federal rules
• New kids' health program enrolls nearly 1 million

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