Senator Tom Brewer

43rd District

11-02-2018

An old political hand, well versed in Nebraska politics, once told me that “Sessions are won or lost in the interim.” That time is right now. It’s the time that passes between sessions. The implication is the work a senator and their staff do during the interim is key to success during the session. I couldn’t agree more. Other senators have also taken this sage advice to heart.

I received a questionnaire from a Senator the other day. This questionnaire is being circulated among all 49 senators, seeking their opinion on a long list of questions. This kind of thing is common and is used to try and “test the water” to see if the votes they will need to pass a particular kind of bill might be found. I think it’s smart from the standpoint you can make an informed decision early whether or not to expend a lot of effort on something. It’s also a really good way to inform all 49 senators you are seriously considering introducing a bill on that issue.

In this particular case, the subject deals with guns. As you might imagine, this immediately got my attention. The questionnaire asks my opinion on the same old list of issues, such as making sure people who shouldn’t have a gun actually don’t, banning “assault” weapons, banning so-called high capacity magazines, putting mental health professionals in our schools, encouraging people not to donate to the NRA, funding gun “buy-back” programs, etc.

I’m baffled by the predictable regularity with which folks on the left insist on promoting more failed government policies with respect to guns. If this questionnaire is any indication, I think we’ll see more of this in the upcoming session.

If my colleagues would do the research they’d find that guns are used 5 times more often to stop crime than to commit crime – and that doesn’t count police use or the deterrent factor of criminals knowing their intended victims might be armed. Guns are used by private citizens to stop criminal activity some 2.5 million times each year and rarely do they even fire a shot doing it. Recreational shooters fire billions of rounds each year, but firearms injury accident numbers keep going down as a percentage of all the guns in circulation and are at record lows. Chicago has the toughest gun control laws in the country yet in 2016, a person was shot about every 2 minutes and one was shot and murdered about every 11 minutes for a total of 722 shot and killed. Statistically, you’d be far safer in Kabul where just about everyone owns an AK-47. Gun control simply doesn’t work.

Gun control laws only “control” those people inclined to obey the law in the first place: law-abiding citizens. Murder is ALREADY illegal. Assault with a deadly weapon is ALREADY illegal. More laws don’t stop gun violence. There is no logic – or evidence – to support how further restrictions on law-abiding gun owners is going to make one bit of difference. The 2003 and 2004 studies done by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and the National Academy of Science concerning the efficacy of gun control laws on stopping gun-related crime are good resources I encourage people interested in gun control to read.

I don’t have a problem with people being anti-gun; everyone is entitled to their opinion and no one is forcing anyone to own a gun. My problem is with those who will not oppose failed government policies with the same enthusiasm they have for attacking the 2^nd Amendment. It’s already the only constitutional right we have to ask permission to use. Further restrictions on our constitutional liberties with more failed government policies is wrong.

As your Senator you can count on me to continue to support and defend the entire Constitution, most especially the 2^nd Amendment. I think it’s the one right we have that guarantees all the others.

Please contact my office with any comments, questions or concerns. Email me at; tbrewer@leg.ne.gov. Mail a letter to; Sen. Tom Brewer, Room #1202, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509 or call us at (402) 471-2628.