New firearms bill seeks to make guns as difficult to get as abortions

State Representative Stacey Newman is hoping to reduce gun violence in her state of Missouri in an unconventional way. Newman pre-filed House Bill 137 which would impose the similar restrictions faced by women seeking abortion services to everyone seeking to purchase a firearm, St. Louis magazine reports.

Missouri's restrictions on women seeking abortions include a 72-hour waiting period and mandatory, state-directed counseling and more. Newman is modeling House Bill 137 after a bill passed by Missouri's senate in 2014. Newman's hope is that these strict requirements will combat Missouri's high gun crime rates.

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House Bill 137 proposes that potential gun buyers be subjected to a 72 hour waiting period, discuss that risks of gun ownership with a licensed physician, watch a 30-minute video about deaths caused by gun injuries, meet with at families who have been victims of violence involving a firearm, visit an emergency trauma center when gun violence victims are present and more. You can read House Bill 137 in its entirety here.

Although Newman is aware that her bill will most likely die in Missouri's Republican-controlled legislature House Bill 137 makes a statement about two public health issues. "Since restrictive policies regarding a constitutionally protected medical procedure are the GOP's legislative priority each year, it makes sense that their same restrictions apply to those who may commit gun violence. Our city mayors and law enforcement drastically need help in saving lives," Newman said in a statement to St. Louis magazine.

See statistics on mass shootings in the United States in the video below:

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