#minimum age of firearm sales

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed Thursday adding a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which he said will address the country's gun violence crisis.

The amendment would raise the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21, mandate universal background checks, institute a reasonable waiting period for all gun purchases and bar civilians from purchasing assault weapons, according to a statement from the Governor's office.

"This will guarantee states as well the ability to enact common sense gun safety laws, while leaving the Second Amendment intact, and respecting America's gun owning tradition," Newsom said in a video statement. "The 28th Amendment locks in the common sense constitutional protections that Democrats, Republicans, Independents and gun owners overwhelmingly support and ensures NRA-owned politicians can never strip those protections away."

6 in 10 Americans, including 4 in 10 gun owners, said controlling gun violence is more important than protecting gun rights – the highest percentage in a decade – according to a national poll released last month.

Newsom told Politico and NBC the move was inspired in part by the rollback of gun safety measures by the courts.

The move comes amid speculation that Newsom may run for President, which grew after he won a second term as Governor, which ends in 2026, and dropped $10 million on a new political action committee. Newsom has denied planning to run in 2024 or 2028, saying he supports President Joe Biden and wants Vice President Kamala Harris, a fellow Californian, to be President.

PROPOSAL SPARKS CRITICISM FROM GUN GROUPS

The move has drawn opposition from gun-ownership groups. A spokesperson for The National Rifle Association said in a statement to USA TODAY that the majority of Americans reject Newsom's "California-style gun control.”

“Newsom’s latest publicly stunt once again shows that his unhinged contempt for the right to self-defense has no bounds," the statement said. "California is a beacon for violence because of Newsom’s embrace of policies that champion the criminal and penalize the law-abiding."

Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America said "Newsom's proposals will fail miserably to control crime."

"It's a foreign concept to wealthy anti-gun political elites like Mr. Newsom that the common people have a right to possess arms for self-defense and repelling government tyranny, so it's no surprise to us that he hopes to butcher that right with a new Constitutional amendment," he said in a statement to USA TODAY.

ADDING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 'WON'T BE EASY'

Adding a constitutional amendment requires either a two-thirds majority vote by both houses of Congress or a constitutional convention convened by two-thirds of State legislatures, according to Thomas Donnelly, chief content officer at the National Constitution Center. None of the 27 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed by a convention and the last time the Constitution was amended was in 1992, he said.

Three-fourths of the states must ratify the proposed amendment in order for it to become part of the Constitution, Donnelly said. Donnelly declined to speculate on the likelihood of Newsom's success. But he said the process is "meant to be difficult."

"The Founders really wanted to limit new amendments to those that can actually secure the broad support of the American people, so for them, they would have said 'an idea that would transcend faction,'" he said. "Today, we would say it's often something that's going to transcend partisan politics."

Given the impact of the Supreme Court's landmark ruling on gun control last year, "something like a Constitutional amendment may seem absolutely necessary," according to Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law.

Waldman, author of "The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided the Country," called Newsom's approach, which leaves the Second Amendment intact but allows for "common sense gun laws" that may be palatable to some gun rights supporters, creative and interesting. He said Newsom's amendment "is not likely to happen, but it's important to think about it."

"Constitutional amendments seem completely impossible to do until suddenly they seem doable, and that's how it's worked all throughout our history," Waldman said. "If the Court's doctrine is so misguided and the carnage on the streets is so undeniable, you might get a surprising outcome."

Newsom acknowledged how challenging the process would be, saying "this fight won't be easy, and it certainly won't be fast."

California State Sen. Aisha Wahab and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer will introduce a joint resolution to make California the first state to call for a convention, also called an Article V Convention or amendatory convention, according to the Governor's statement.

Newsom will then work with "grassroots supporters, elected and civic leaders, and broad and diverse coalitions across the nation" to get similar resolutions passed in the 33 other states required to convene the convention, the statement said.

"California will be the first but that's just the beginning," Newsom said in a statement.

[skykittywhatchamahcallit]

“Common sense gun laws”

Oh cool so we’re gonna mandate firearm safety training? Tests and licenses right?

Right?

….right guys?

….guys?

New constitutional amendment that proposes:

1)Raising the federal minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21;

2)Mandating universal background checks to prevent truly dangerous people from purchasing a gun that could be used in a crime;

3) Instituting a reasonable waiting period for all gun purchases; and

4) Barring civilian purchase of assault weapons that serve no other purpose than to kill as many people as possible in a short amount of time – weapons of war our nation’s founders never foresaw.”

….

1) damn may as well fucking raise adulthood to 21 as well, Jesus Christ guys we’re just stepping back into the fucking 1950s every goddamn day. Can’t drink, can’t smoke, can’t buy a gun. But yes sure I can go into debt and join the military and die for my country and get a job and die in the workforce.

2) gun stores already have background checks, dumbass. This will do NOTHING. Good try though! Private sales are a different matter- again though this does little to nothing!

3) define “reasonable”. Sometimes it can take months to get a background check complete anyway because of common names. Good try again though!

4) yeah define “assault weapon”. They serve other purposes and they’re not the majority cause of gun death in America. Even then- the common man deserves access to weapons of war because we should not, under any circumstances, allow the government to hold all the small arms power over the people!

[thetobaccomarketaustralia]

Buying Cigarettes Online | thetobaccomarketaustralia.com

If you're tired of the grinding routine of making weekly (or even daily) trips to a local store to buy cigarettes, try purchasing your tobacco online. It saves time and money, plus it's easy to do!

Internet cigarette vendors often don't collect excise taxes, depriving governments of needed revenue for tobacco control programs. Several states have laws that require vendors to verify their customers' age and impose minimum order amounts.

Choose a reputable vendor.

The number of websites selling cigarettes is rapidly growing, but not all are created equal. Some may ask for personal information such as your social security number or bank account information, which is why it’s important to choose a trustworthy vendor.

A recent study found that underage adolescents were able to successfully purchase cigarettes online from vendors who did not verify age for either credit card or money order purchases. This was despite the fact that most of the Internet cigarette vendors included an age warning on their Web sites and had a minimum purchase requirement for their deliveries. The researchers also found that cigarettes are cheaper online than in US grocery stores. Many e-cigarette brands have been marketed with flavor names such as Thin Mints or Tootsie Roll that appeal to adolescents.

Shop around.

Smoking is a choice that some adults make. Rather than buying cigarettes from the store, you can save up to 30-70% by buying them online. You can find some of the best prices for cigarettes online, including discount coupons and free shipping.

Among states with Internet and delivery sales laws, all but two required that tobacco content language be stated either on bills of laden or shipping documents. In addition, 23 states with Internet and delivery sales laws required that vendors register and/or comply with Jenkins Act requirements, and 17 states with Internet and/or delivery sales laws required that vendors inform purchasers of minimum age of sale requirements or tax collection/remittance provisions.

The US Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and several state Attorneys General reached a voluntary agreement with major credit card companies and PayPal to stop processing transactions for cigarette-related goods sold on the Internet (National Association of Attorneys General, 2005). Nevertheless, these types of initiatives have not had a significant impact on regulating Internet cigarette sales to adult smokers.

Add your items to your cart.

Cigarettes and other tobacco products can be purchased from a variety of sites online. Most cigarette and tobacco product retailers will have a list of their brands on their site, as well as a search bar (usually located in one of the upper corners of the page) that you can use to find your preferred brand.

Be careful with your selection. Many websites sell cigarettes in cartons, so if you end up disliking the brand you choose, you'll have a whole box of cigarettes that you may not want.

You must be a licensed retailer to sell cigarettes and other tobacco products online. Contact your State government to determine any laws or regulations that apply to your business. You must maintain a valid tobacco and cigarette sales permit and conspicuously display your license at each retail location you operate.

Check out.

The majority of Internet cigarette vendors that sell to US consumers are located internationally and do not comply with US law. This means that cigarette purchases are often made by underage individuals and the taxes are not paid.

Using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, we asked 463 participants who reported ever purchasing tobacco or e-cigarettes online to explain their reasons for doing so. Responses were triple-coded and thematically analyzed.

Participants offered 14 reasons for their decisions to purchase cigarettes online: price (cheaper online, discounts, bulk purchases, avoiding taxes), product characteristics (availability, quality), buying experience (convenience, saving time, wanting discretion, receiving guidance) and curiosity. More work is needed to ensure that internet tobacco sellers affix tax stamps and pay state and federal excise taxes on their products.

Wait for your cigarettes to arrive.

While buy cigarettes online is a risky practice and not recommended, it can be a convenient way to purchase your favorite brands. It allows smokers to avoid traveling long distances to buy their preferred brands and flavors. Besides saving money on fuel, it can also save time by avoiding lengthy queues in local shops and gas stations.

Moreover, smokers can buy cigarettes from different countries, which expands their options and offers a diverse smoking experience. Additionally, online stores offer detailed information about tobacco blends and flavor profiles, allowing smokers to make more informed choices.

Finally, price was a key motivation for purchasing online, with respondents reporting that prices were cheaper online than offline. In addition, a few participants reported that they purchased online to avoid taxes.

[tc54fmp23]

Gun Laws

Gun laws in the US are in place to help prevent gun crimes some of these laws but because of the second amendment, the right to bear arms, they cannot completely ban them.

Federal Gun Laws:

National Firearms Act (NFA) (1934): Taxes the manufacture and transfer of, and mandates the registration of Title II weapons such as machine guns, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, heavy weapons, explosive ordnance, suppressors, and disguised or improvised firearms.

Federal Firearms Act of 1938 (FFA): Requires that gun manufacturers, importers, and those in the business of selling firearms have a Federal Firearms License (FFL). Prohibits the transfer of firearms to certain classes of people, such as convicted felons.

Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (1968): Prohibited interstate trade in handguns, increased the minimum age to 21 for buying handguns.

Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA): Focuses primarily on regulating interstate commerce in firearms by generally prohibiting interstate firearms transfers except among licensed manufacturers, dealers and importers.

Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA) (1986): Revised and partially repealed the Gun Control Act of 1968. Prohibited the sale to civilians of automatic firearms manufactured after the date of the law's passage. Required ATF approval of transfers of automatic firearms.

Undetectable Firearms Act (1988): Effectively criminalizes, with a few exceptions, the manufacture, importation, sale, shipment, delivery, possession, transfer, or receipt of firearms with less than 3.7 oz of metal content.

Gun-Free School Zones Act (1990): Prohibits unauthorized individuals from knowingly possessing a firearm at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.

Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993): Requires background checks on most firearm purchasers, depending on seller and venue.

Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994–2004): Banned semiautomatics that looked like assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices. The law expired in 2004.

Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (2004): Granted law enforcement officers and former law enforcement officers the right to carry a concealed firearm in any jurisdiction in the United States, regardless of state or local laws, with certain exceptions.

Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (2005): Prevents firearms manufacturers and licensed dealers from being held liable for negligence when crimes have been committed with their products.

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022): Expands background checks for purchasers under 21 to include their juvenile records, requires more sellers to have an FFL, funds state crisis intervention programs, further criminalizes arms trafficking and straw purchases, and closes the “boyfriend loophole”.

These laws are really important in the USA because they help control the people who are able to manufacture, import, sell, and buy firearms. They help prevent people who might cause harm with these weapons from accessing these weapons.

However, in the UK we have different laws that ban firearms with a few exceptions. This ban was introduced due to the Dunblane school massacre in 1996.

I think the UK have got better laws because it means that getting guns are really difficult and mean that people are safer. Although we do have high knife crime I would much rather have knife crime over gun crime because knifes are not as deadly as guns.

[kp777]

By Jessica Priest and Perla Trevizo

ProPublica, Co-published with The Texas Tribune

Feb. 16, 2023, updated May 8, 2023

It has become a mournful pattern. Following mass shootings, lawmakers in many states have taken stock of what happened and voted to approve gun control legislation to try to prevent additional bloodshed.

In Colorado, the Legislature passed universal background checks in 2013 after a shooter at an Aurora movie theater killed 12 people. After 58 people were shot dead during a 2017 concert in Las Vegas, the Nevada Legislature passed a red flag law that allows a judge to order that weapons be taken from people who are deemed a threat. And in Florida in 2018, then-Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill that raised the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21 after a teenager with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire at a Parkland high school, killing 17 people.

But not in Texas.

In the past six decades, the state has experienced at least 20 mass shootings that have killed more than 200 people and wounded at least 240 others. Yet state leaders have repeatedly batted away measures that would limit access to guns, opting instead to ease restrictions on publicly carrying them while making it harder for local governments to regulate them.

As the state Legislature convenes for the first time since the Uvalde school shooting last May, lawmakers have once again filed a slate of gun control bills. If history is an indicator, and top legislative leaders predict it will be, they are unlikely to pass.

An analysis by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune of hundreds of bills filed in the Texas Legislature over nearly the past six decades found that at least two dozen measures would have prevented people from legally obtaining the weapons, including assault rifles and large-capacity magazines, used in seven of the state’s mass shootings.

At least five bills would have required that people seeking to obtain a gun undergo a background check. Such a check would have kept the man involved in a 2019 shooting spree in Midland and Odessa from legally purchasing the weapon because he had been deemed to have a mental illness.

Seven bills would have banned the sale or possession of the semi-automatic rifle that a shooter used to kill dozens of people at an El Paso Walmart in 2019.

And at least two bills would have raised the legal age to own or purchase an assault weapon from 18 to 21 years old, which would have made it illegal for the Uvalde shooter to buy the semi-automatic assault rifles.

A state House committee that investigated the Uvalde massacre found that the shooter had tried to get at least two people to buy a gun for him before he turned 18 but was unsuccessful. Immediately after his birthday, he purchased two AR-15-style rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition, which he used to kill 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.

“If that law had been 21, I guarantee you he would have continued to be frustrated and not be able to obtain that weapon,” said state Rep. Joe Moody, a Democrat from El Paso who served as vice chair of the House committee.

Gun violence in Texas was again in the news after one person was killed and three people were wounded Wednesday in a shooting at an El Paso mall. The shopping center abuts the Walmart where the 2019 massacre took place; the latest incident came just a week after the shooter in the earlier case pleaded guilty to hate crimes and weapons charges. Though the investigation into this week’s shooting is underway, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat who represents El Paso, responded to a tweet of support sent by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott by calling on him to enact gun violence prevention legislation during the current legislative session.

A collection of reforms are necessary to help curb the number of mass shootings — and gun violence in general — across the nation, said Ari Freilich, state policy director for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

“There is an enormous need for states to act, especially in states like Texas, where today someone with a really significant history of violence can purchase unlimited quantities of weapons of war without any kind of background check, where there’s no red flag law in place to give people close to them the tools to go into a court and help be a part of preventing violence, where young people can go out and purchase their own firearms years before they can buy their first beer,” Freilich said.

Abbott has repeatedly opposed legislation regulating guns. “There are thousands of laws on the books across the country that limit the owning or using of firearms, laws that have not stopped madmen from carrying out evil acts on innocent people,” Abbott said in a prerecorded speech to the National Rifle Association three days after the Uvalde shooting.

Since then, the governor has argued against legislation that would raise the age to purchase assault-style weapons in Texas, saying that a federal district court judge ruled last August that the Second Amendment prevents the state from barring 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying handguns. Texas is not appealing the ruling.

Eric Ruben, a law professor at Southern Methodist University, said that the widely held consensus in the appellate courts has been that restrictions on AR-15-style weapons are constitutional, as are age restrictions. Ruben said that a U.S. Supreme Court decision last June, which gave Americans a broad right to arm themselves in public, complicated the long held consensus. The ruling rejected a standard used by most lower courts that weighed whether the law advanced public safety and instead stated that governments should pass laws that are “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

“The appellate courts have yet to weigh in more broadly on the constitutionality of raising the age to purchase military-style semi-automatic weapons, as Florida did after Parkland, after that June decision,” he said.

Neither the governor nor Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick responded to requests for comment or detailed questions. A spokesperson for House Speaker Dade Phelan pointed reporters to previous statements in which he said he would vote against raising the minimum age to buy a firearm and that he didn’t think the House had the votes to pass such a bill.

Rhonda Hart, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed in a 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School, said she’s been frustrated by the repeated unwillingness of Texas lawmakers to consider meaningful gun legislation.

“We’ve tried everything with them, but they just don’t want to do it,” Hart said. “I’ve said it, and I hope to God that it never becomes true, but they’re not going to care about fixing gun violence until a member of the family or they themselves get impacted.”

Below are details of selected Texas mass shootings in which at least three people were killed, starting with the 1966 massacre of 16 people at the University of Texas at Austin. The news organizations reviewed more than 700 bills introduced in the state Legislature since 1965, along with legislative reports, news clips, press releases and databases compiled by nonprofits that track mass shootings, including The Violence Project and Mother Jones.

Read more.

[preppernewstoday]

Today is the birthday of the late actor/director/producer Norman Lloyd.  He was born on November 8, 1914. His final film role was in a movie released in 2015. That was filmed after he had turned 100. I just learned that he passed away at the remarkable age of 106 on May 11, 2021. Our condolences to his family. — I’m pleased to report that we’ve established an affiliate advertising relationship with Wing Bikes. They make some of the world’s best e-bikes.  They just started their Black Friday Preview Sale with $700 off their e-bikes! — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 103 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value), A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo, American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson. Second Prize: A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795, A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679 Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value). Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC, A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy! Third Prize: Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value), A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. — More than $750,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 103 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

[purchasingammoonline]

Buying Ammo Online

While most people assume that buying ammo from an online store is safe, this is not the case. When you buy ammo online, you are less likely to deal with customer service, and you might even have to wait a while before receiving the order. This is not to say that you shouldn't engage in a dialogue with the seller if you have any questions. After all, websites can have mistakes, and you don't want to waste time or money figuring out what isn't correct. Click here to read more on the right online ammo store.

Be aware that certain states do not allow sales of ammo to individuals who may be dangerous. Also, some states may have minimum age requirements for buying ammo. Before buying ammo online, check with your local gun store to confirm your age and verify that the seller is registered. Then, once you have the paperwork, you can begin purchasing ammo. You may be surprised to learn that there are other restrictions that apply in your state.

When buying ammo online, you should always check for laws that prevent you from purchasing ammo from unlicensed sources. Most states do not allow ammo sales online, but this does not mean that you can't purchase ammo from an online store. Most online stores sell ammo at a lower price than they do at a local store. You should also be aware of any sales tax or other taxes that may apply when buying ammo online. Read more here about the price of these products.

You can also buy ammo from a friend. However, if you're unsure about the legalities, check with an attorney or a local firearms expert. In particular, if you're planning on buying ammo regularly, you should consult a firearms expert before making the purchase. If you're buying from a friend, be sure to check with them first. Buying ammo from a friend is legal if you're over 18 and/or legally possess a firearm.

If you want to know more about this topic, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammunition.

[health28]

The Best Hope for Fixing America’s Gun Crisis

The Best Hope for Fixing America’s Gun Crisis

Even if Congress does manage to pass gun legislation in the weeks ahead—still a big if—that legislation will leave much to be done. The proposed framework does not, for example, increase the minimum age for purchasing firearms, address assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition, or close background-check loopholes for secondary sales, among other shortcomings. Americans who want a more…

[globalcourant]

Texas city to consider raising minimum age to buy 'AR-15 style weapons' to 21

Texas city to consider raising minimum age to buy ‘AR-15 style weapons’ to 21

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Austin City Council will vote on a measure this week to explore ways that the city can raise the minimum age to buy certain firearms.  “Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to explore every option that would allow the City to prohibit or reduce the sale of AR-15 style weapons and other semi-automatic rifles to anyone below the age of…

[v4hive]

US congress approves raising minimum age for gun purchases

US congress approves raising minimum age for gun purchases

US congressmen have voted to raise the minimum age for purchasing firearms and to ban the sale of extended-capacity magazines, the House of Representatives press gallery reported. The bill, approved by 223 votes to 204, was a reaction to the mass shootings in Buffalo, where ten people were killed, and Yuvalde, where 19 schoolchildren and two female teachers were killed. The package of…

[merryweathers29-blog]

Congress Raised The Tobacco Age To 21. Why Not Do The Same For Guns? | HuffPost Latest News https://t.co/gyKyrBgQ9X

[democracyin-news]

House wants to raise minimum age to buy semi-automatic to 21

House wants to raise minimum age to buy semi-automatic to 21

WASHINGTON- The gunman who killed 21 children and teachers at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school last week bought two AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles days after his 18th birthday. A House bill being voted on this week would have prevented the sale by barring anyone under 21 from purchasing that type of firearm nationwide. The proposal to raise the minimum age to a semi-automatic rifle is part…

[azspot]

In the lead up to the election, Walmart removed guns and ammunition from sales floors of its U.S. stores that sell firearms, in attempt to prevent theft of firearms if stores are looted amid civil unrest. And then, when its assessment of the likelihood of civil unrest ebbed, it nimbly changed course and returned these items again to its shelves.

These sensible moves are far from the first time Walmart has shown leadership in trying to assure that it was responsibly marketing products that can be violently misused. Last year, it stopped selling ammunition that can be used semiautomatic rifles and the year before it raised the minimum age to purchase guns or ammunition to 21.

But can a single gun retailer make a dent in gun violence? Our new research suggests that it can.

In 1994, Walmart stopped selling handguns at all of its locations in every state except for Alaska. Then in 2006, Walmart stopped selling firearms altogether in more than half of its stores. But the company partially reverse course in 2011 and began increasing the number of stores selling rifles and shotguns. We tested the impact of these policy changes on suicide and homicide.

[personal-blog243]

Sharing...not my list

I have heard from people that they want a reason to vote FOR Biden beyond that he's not Trump. Okay, I respect that, so I went on his website, poured through his policies, and came up with 100 reasons to vote for Biden that don't mention Trump.

1.) $15.00 federal minimum wage

2.) Reinstate DACA – allowing new applicants to apply

3.) 12 Weeks federal paid family leave

4.) Universal Pre-Kindergarten/Childcare for ages 3 and 4

5.) Tuition free college for those with household income less than $125,000.00

6.) Allow student loans to be relieved in bankruptcy

7.) LGBTQ+ Equality Act in the first 100 days in office

8.) Rejoin the Paris Climate Accords

9.) Decriminalize cannabis use and expunge convictions

10.) Eliminate cash bail system

11.) Eliminate mandatory minimum sentences

12.) Outlaw all online firearm and munition sales

13.) Restore the voting rights act

14.) Create a new $20 billion competitive grant program to spur states to shift from incarceration to prevention.

15.) He’ll triple funding for Title I Programs

16.) Appoint the first Black Woman to the Supreme Court of the United States

17.) Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

18.) Ensure the US achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050

19.) Protecting Biodiversity, slowing extinction rates and helping leverage natural climate solutions

20.) Develop a plan to ensure that America has the cleanest, safest and fastest rail system in the world, for both passengers and freight

21.) Expand the safety net for survivors

22.) Confront online harassment, abuse and stalking

23.) End the rape kit backlog

24.) Address the deadly combination of guns and domestic violence

25.) Change the culture that enables domestic violence

26.) Support the diverse needs of survivors of violence against women

27.) Protect and empower immigrant women

28.) Lead the global effort to end gender-based violence

29.) End capital punishment

30.) End federal private prisons

31.) End all incarceration for drug use alone and divert individuals to drug courts and treatment

32.) Invest in public defenders’ offices to ensure defendants’ access to quality counsel

33.) Expand and use the power of the US Justice Department to address systemic misconduct in police departments and prosecutors’ offices

34.) Reform qualified immunity for officers

35.) Ban choke-holds/neck restraints by police

36.) Launch a national police oversight commission

37.) Stop transferring weapons of war to police force

38.) Free access to testing for all with national testing board

39.) Double drive through testing sites

40.) 100,000 contact tracing workforce

41.) Guarantee first responders have priority access to PPE

42.) Emergency paid leave for anyone who gets COVID or needs to take care of a loved one

43.) Free housing for health care workers to quarantine

44.) Ramp up large scale manufacturing of as many vaccine candidates as necessary

45.) Nationwide vaccination campaign to guarantee fair distribution

46.) Ask every American to wear a mask

47.) End the mismanagement of the asylum system, which fuels violence and chaos at the border

48.) Surge humanitarian resources to the border and foster public-private initiatives

49.) End prolonged detention and reinvest in a case management program

50.) Rescind the un-American travel and refugee bans, also referred to as “Muslim bans.”

51.) Order an immediate review of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for vulnerable populations who cannot find safety in their countries ripped apart by violence or disaster

52.) Ensure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel abide by professional standards and are held accountable for inhumane treatment.

53.) Revitalize the Task Force on New Americans and boost our economy by prioritizing integration, promoting immigrant entrepreneurship, increasing access to language instruction, and promoting civil engagement.

54.) Convene a regional meeting of leaders, including from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Canada, to address the factors driving migration and to propose a regional resettlement solution

55.) Raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent.

56.) Requiring a true minimum tax on ALL foreign earnings of United States companies located overseas so that we do our part to put an end to the global race to the bottom that rewards global tax havens. This will be 21% — TWICE the rate of the Trump offshoring tax rate and will apply to all income.

57.) Imposing a tax penalty on corporations that ship jobs overseas in order to sell products back to America.

58.) Imposing a 15% minimum tax on book income so that no corporation gets away with paying no taxes.

59.) Raising the top individual income rate back to 39.6 percent.

60.) Asking those making more than $1 million to pay the same rate on investment income that they do on their wages.

61.) Tackle the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

62.) Ensure tribal nations will have a strong voice and role in the federal government

63.) Restore Tribal lands and safeguard natural and cultural resources

64.) Joe will dramatically increase funding for both public schools and Bureau of Indian Education schools.

65.) Invest $70 billion in Tribal Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions.

66.) Ensure full inclusion of people with disabilities in policy development and aggressively enforce the civil rights of people with disabilities.

67.) Guarantee access to high-quality, affordable health care, including mental health care, and expand access to home and community-based services and long-term services and supports in the most integrated setting appropriate to each person’s needs and based on self-determination.

68.) Expand competitive, integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

69.) Protect and strengthen economic security for people with disabilities.

70.) Ensure that students with disabilities have access to educational programs and support they need to succeed, from early interventions to post-secondary education.

71.) Expand access to accessible, integrated, and affordable housing, transportation, and assistive technologies and protect people with disabilities in emergencies.

72.) Advance global disability rights

73.) Double the number of psychologists, guidance counselors, nurses, social workers, and other health professionals in our schools so our kids get the mental health care they need

74.) Invest in our schools to eliminate the funding gap between white and non-white districts, and rich and poor districts

75.) Improve teacher diversity

76.) Support our educators by giving them the pay and dignity they deserve.

77.) Invest in resources for our schools so students grow into physically and emotionally healthy adults, and educators can focus on teaching.

78.) Ensure that no child’s future is determined by their zip code, parents’ income, race, or disability.

79.) Provide every middle and high school student a path to a successful career.

80.) Start investing in our children at birth.

81.) Double funding for the State Small Business Credit Initiative.

82.) Expand the New Markets Tax Credit, make the program permanent, and double Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) funding

83.) Improve and expand the Small Business Administration programs that most effectively support African American-owned businesses.

84.) Increase funding for the Minority Business Development Agency budget.

85.) Make sure economic relief because of COVID-19 reaches the African American businesses that need it most

86.) Reserve half of all the new PPP funds for small businesses with 50 employees or less

87.) Help families buy their first homes and build wealth by creating a new refundable, advanceable tax credit of up to $15,000

88.) Protect homeowners and renters from abusive lenders and landlords through a new Homeowner and Renter Bill of Rights.

89.) Establishing a $100 billion Affordable Housing Fund to construct and upgrade affordable housing

90.) Fully implement Congressman Clyburn’s 10-20-30 Plan to help all individuals living in persistently impoverished communities

91.) Expand access to $100 billion in low-interest business loans by funding state, local, tribal, and non-profit lending programs in Latino communities and other communities of color and strengthening Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs

92.) Expand broadband access to every American.

93.) Protect and build on the Affordable Care Act to improve access to quality health care in rural communities.

94.) Expand access to high-quality education in rural schools.

95.) Transform our crumbling transportation infrastructure – including roads and bridges, rail, aviation, ports, and inland waterways.

96.) Expand bio-based manufacturing to bring cutting-edge manufacturing jobs back to rural America.

97.) Strengthen antitrust enforcement

98.) Introduce a constitutional amendment to entirely eliminate private dollars from our federal elections

99.) End dark money groups

100.) Ban corporate PAC contributions to candidates, and prohibit lobbyist contributions to those who they lobby