Mental Illness
Not everyone who is mentally ill is going to become a mass shooter, but we must be able to ensure that those who have shown signs of hurting themselves or others and have guns, are prevented from doing so. We must seek to assist families with laws like California’s Laura’s law allows family members or law enforcement officials to seek a temporary restraining order barring a potentially violent person from purchasing guns and removing any already in their possession. The mantra, “if you see something, say something” needs to extend to our police and sheriff’s offices, so that people are allowed to report strange behavior that could become violent. Physicians also should be empowered to ask patients if they own guns and encourage the family to seek a gun order if they’re worried. I will work to pass legislation that will emulate California’s law to ensure families, law enforcement, and physicians can take action to protect their loved one from harming themselves or others.
Assault Weapons Ban
We need to reinstate the 1994 Assault Weapons ban, with updated language to deal with all new technologies immediately. If elected, I’ll work with my colleagues in the House and Senator Diane Feinstein to pass legislation that will ban assault weapons, ammunition, and any technology or products designed to create an assault style weapon.