Alaska’s U.S. Senate delegation splits on new gun-violence prevention bill

Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined 14 other Republicans and the U.S. Senate’s Democrats on Thursday in support of a new gun-violence prevention bill crafted after the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas.

Dan Sullivan, Alaska’s other senator, voted against the bill, which passed the Senate on Thursday and was approved by the U.S. House on Friday. Alaska’s seat in the House has been empty since the death of Congressman Don Young in March.

“The American public deserves to see some response from the Congress when it comes to gun violence and what we can do more and better to provide for school safety,” Murkowski said.

Among the key pieces of the bill are provisions that allow gun-buying background checks to include the juvenile records of buyers under age 21.

Murkowski said that could have prevented the Uvalde shooter from buying his firearm.

Other sections provide greater funding for mental health treatment, public safety and mental health crisis intervention.

Someone who is convicted of a violent act against a long-term dating partner will be barred from owning a firearm; current law only affects the spouses of domestic violence victims.

People who frequently buy and sell guns at gun shows will be required to obtain a federal firearms license.

“I think none of this infringes on our Second Amendment rights or on Alaska’s appreciation or respect for firearms rights,” Murkowski said.

She added that she believes “it will be viewed by some as not enough and by others as too much,” but said “it is important to be responding to the public demand for common-sense approaches on guns and safety.”

Sullivan declined a request for an interview but said in a prepared statement that while he views the bill’s mental health provisions as “a good start,” he voted against it because of the aspects dealing with firearms.

“In that regard, I have serious concerns about the broad discretion this legislation leaves up to federal courts and Biden administration officials as it relates to the implementation and interpretation of the bill’s vaguely defined firearms restrictions and due process provisions,” he said.

Murkowski is running for re-election this year. When asked how her vote will impact her election, she said that she doesn’t have time to test the winds on every issue.

“This needs to be a vote that I will stand by, regardless of whether I am at the end of a six-year term or at the beginning of a six-year term,” Murkowski said.

“I hope that Alaskans look at this for what it is — which is a thoughtful and targeted approach to the specific problems that have led to several of these mass shootings,” she said.

Kelly Tshibaka, Murkowski’s most prominent Republican opponent in the election, criticized Murkowski’s support of the bill.

When asked about her preferred response to the Uvalde massacre, she provided a prepared statement: “As the mother of five children, I’m absolutely devastated for the families and community who have experienced this unthinkable tragedy — a tragedy that highlights once again the need for increased mental health resources across the country. We must address the root of the issue, rather than blaming inanimate objects. I do not support legislation that restricts the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. In Alaska, the lawful ownership of guns is fundamental to who we are, and I will always stand by the Second Amendment.”

Pat Chesbro, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, said she believes “any step forward is a good step. The acknowledgement that we need to do things to curb gun violence is a step forward.”

She said she does have concerns with the bill’s handling of juvenile records and doesn’t believe the amount of money for mental health treatment in schools is sufficient.

“Everything that I’ve read about research into people who kind of snap and go into gun violence has to do with early childhood trauma, and we’re not meeting that,” Chesbro said.