Gov. Doug Ducey said in his State of the State address that he wanted to find ways for Republicans and Democrats to work together.

Or, as he put it, “I’m not here just to work with Republicans on Republican ideas. And bipartisanship doesn’t simply mean working with Democrats on Democratic ideas. I’m here as governor of all the people to work with all of you on good ideas.”

Here’s one: Remove weapons from domestic abusers.

A bipartisan proposal to do just that has been introduced in the Legislature: Senate Bill 1219.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed support for it.

Closing federal loopholes

There is a federal law on the books dealing with this issue but it has numerous loopholes, which the Arizona proposal aims to fill. Nearly 30 other states have passed laws that in one way or another enhance the federal law.

The proposed Arizona bill would expand on federal law by moving beyond spouses to prohibit convicted dating partners from purchasing or possessing firearms. Abusers also would be required to turn in guns they already own.

Gov. Ducey has said that he wants to keep weapons out of the hand of people who shouldn’t have them. He made a proposal last year that included what he called a Stop Threat Order of Protection (STOP), that would have permitted police, parents, schools, psychiatrists and others to petition the courts to temporarily seize weapons from the home of anyone who poses a threat to himself or others.

Shouldn't the governor support it?

That particular proposal was aimed at individuals believed to be suffering from mental health issues.

The gun safety organization founded by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and Capt. Mark Kelly called Ducey’s plan “unreasonably long, cumbersome, and loophole-ridden process for suspending dangerous people’s access to guns and falls well short of the Extreme Risk Protection Order laws that have been adopted with bipartisan support in other states.”

Getting a law passed that actually has a chance to protect segments of the public from gun violence has never been easy. The gun lobby in many states (including ours) has been strong enough to either have such proposals killed or watered down to the extent that they’re little more than fancy titles on do-nothing laws.

A bipartisan, common sense approach

Republican State Sen. Heather Carter, a sponsor of SB 1219, said of the bill, “The gaps in both state and federal law as it stands make it too easy for domestic abusers to get their hands on a gun. Between 2012 and 2016, the rate of intimate partner gun homicide in Arizona was 66 percent higher than the national average. That is unacceptable.

"Across the country, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have worked across the aisle to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, and it’s time we did the same. I’m proud to introduce legislation that protects victims of domestic violence in our state.”

She shared her comments in a press release from Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, in which Jessica Manos, a volunteer chapter leader said, “I’m heartened to see our legislators work to create meaningful change to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.”

Agreement only works with a law

I’d guess that keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers is something that just about everyone would agree with.

But agreement isn’t protection.

Agreement won’t stop abusers from killing their spouses or girlfriends.

For that you need a strong, enforceable law.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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