Quint Forgey

The News Journal

A day after lawmakers in Washington failed to pass four gun control measures in the U.S. Senate, Delaware’s General Assembly sent to the governor’s desk on Tuesday a bill that would extend the wait time for the FBI to conduct background checks before gun purchasers receive their firearms.

All gun purchasers must receive a successful federal background check, but Delaware gun sellers are allowed to move forward with a sale if the government can’t complete the check within three business days.

House Bill 325, sponsored by Rep. Edward Osienski, D-Newark, would extend that window to 25 days.

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The measure faced nine proposed amendments and heavy opposition from GOP lawmakers when it went before the Senate on Tuesday, after being deferred twice last week.

Only one amendment – a proposal by bill co-sponsor Sen. Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, to decrease the bill’s original 30-day waiting period by five days – made it onto the bill, which passed the Senate, 12-9.

“I think [Townsend’s amendment] was a consensus … to get the 12 votes that we needed,” said Majority Leader Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear.

Minority Leader F. Gary Simpson, R-Milford, in arguing against passage, said longer waiting periods could endanger Delaware’s “most vulnerable women, who we have pledged to protect as men.”

Simpson said potential victims of rape, domestic abuse and other forms of assault rely on firearms to protect themselves.

“Probably most of the women – the adult women in this room – are protected by a gun at home,” Simpson said. “I rise in opposition to this bill. I rise in defense of defenseless women.”

Sen. David Lawson, R-Marydel, who proposed four unsuccessful amendments to the bill, said it was unnecessary given the speedier nature of modern FBI background checks, and claimed few purchasers walk away with a gun without the proper screening.

“Today, the data is better. The system is faster,” Lawson said. “This bill does nothing to protect the public. It does nothing to protect law enforcement.”

Senate Democrats maintained the bill did not extend the wait time for background checks and affected only what Sen. Karen Peterson, D-Stanton, described as the “default period” in which a potentially dangerous purchase could occur.

“Nobody’s making anyone wait to get their guns,” Peterson said. “We have to end this insanity. This is like a no-brainer.”

Gov. Jack Markell is expected to sign the bill into law in a ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.

Contact Quint Forgey at bforgey@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @QuintForgey.