ON MAY 6th, the day Senator Cory Booker published his presidential plan to cut gun violence, there were two shootings in his state of New Jersey, in which two people were injured. Across America, that day alone, there were 71 shootings, in which 14 died and dozens were wounded, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research organisation. It reckons that so far this year guns have killed 4,764 Americans, including 873 teenagers—and 196 children.

Mr Booker is making much on the campaign trail of being the only Democratic presidential candidate to live in a poor inner city area—in Newark, where he was mayor—and he highlighted the relentless, daily nature of gun violence in America when he unveiled his plan. “This is an everyday experience to people like me and folks in my community”, he said. “And I'm not unique. This is happening all over the country, ripping apart communities.”

The senator’s gun-control plan is part of his effort to stand out in a crowded Democratic field. Earlier this month Mr Booker said his campaign was short of the number of donors that would qualify him to appear in the televised primary debates that begin in June. But his plan is notable for two other reasons. First, it is the most ambitious gun control proposal to have been put forward by a presidential candidate. Though it would ban assault weapons, close loopholes that allow domestic abusers to buy guns and prevent the bulk sale of firearms, its central feature is the creation of a national licensing programme. This would require prospective gun-buyers to undergo an extensive background check by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, entailing fingerprinting and an interview, in order to obtain a five-year gun licence.

No such national programme currently exists, but research suggests that licensing is the best way to cut America’s gun death rate, which is by far the highest in the rich world. Mr Booker cited a study from 2015 that shows gun deaths in Connecticut dropped by 40% after the state introduced a gun licensing programme. Massachusetts, which requires buyers to obtain a permit—a weeks’ long process involving an interview and a background check—has one of the lowest gun death rates in America. In 2016 it had 3.4 gun deaths per 100,000 people. Nearby New Hampshire, where buying a gun is a much simpler process, had 9.4 deaths per 100,000.

Mr Booker’s plan also suggests the Democratic Party has changed its thinking on gun control as a possible election issue. Democrats have not always wanted to campaign on gun control. Many believe a ban on assault weapons passed during Bill Clinton’s presidency cost them control of the House of Representatives in 1994 and that Al Gore’s enthusiasm for gun control cost him the presidency in 2000.

Their political calculus seems to be changing. Thanks in part to a new student-led movement for gun control that was sparked by a mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, last February, the issue was prominent in November’s mid-terms. In at least 12 races, Democrats given an “F” rating by the National Rifle Association kicked out “A”-rated Republicans.

Though there are concerns that support for gun controls could turn off the sort of working class swing voters that in 2016 helped elect President Donald Trump, most 2020 Democratic candidates have said they back tighter gun controls. Senator Kamala Harris said recently she would give Congress 100 days to pass gun control laws before she used presidential executive power to enforce them.

The election of a Democratic president may mean not mean much for America’s gun laws, however. Any comprehensive legislation would have to be passed by Congress; while the Republican Party remains in control of the Senate that is unlikely to happen. In March, having taken control of the House, Democrats passed a universal background checks bill, the first major gun control bill since 1994. Though such a step is backed by a majority of Americans it has not gone anywhere in the Senate.

One Republican senator was quick to proclaim his opposition to serious gun-control laws after Mr Booker unveiled his plan. “BREAKING: the latest terrible idea to come out of the Democrats’ 2020 primary is a federal gun registry”, tweeted gun-loving Senator Rick Scott of Florida. “...What’s next? Will we have to register sharp knives?”