Tillis and Burr take a risky — but right — step on gun control

An anomaly happened this week. It wasn’t an act of God, or a force of nature. It was a compromise between Democrats and Republicans on gun control legislation.

Ten Democrats and 10 Republicans, including senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, have come to an agreement on gun control legislation in the wake of shootings in Texas and New York.

“This bill will be too little for many,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) “It’ll be too much for others.”

It’s true the bill is too little for a lot of Democrats, who wanted to see red flag laws and assault weapons bans for buyers under 21. For some Republicans, even the act of making it easier for states to pass tighter legislation is an issue.

“Families are scared, and it is our duty to come together and get something done that will help restore their sense of safety and security in their communities,” Tillis said in a written statement Sunday.

People outside of the political arena often lament the lack of bipartisanship and compromise from our current lawmakers. The reality is that when it comes to politics in this country, a compromise can cost elections. Even if more than half of Americans think we need stricter gun laws, gun rights groups are pouring millions of dollars into our elections — and they know how to turn out voters.

The RAND Corporation estimates 45.8% of adult North Carolinians have guns in their homes, accounting for about 3.77 million people. Since the state doesn’t require newly purchased guns to be registered, it’s unclear how many guns are in the state per person. Nationally, gun reform could be less popular than polling data indicates.

Tillis has regularly received mixed reviews; first from Democrats, and now from Republicans who think he’s going too far to the left on guns. It could affect his future endeavors, like the whispers of an unlikely run for governor in 2024. Burr, who isn’t seeking re-election, is falling out of step with a group that, throughout his political career, has spent more on him than any U.S. senator other than Mitt Romney, whose 2012 presidential campaign skews the numbers. It will undoubtedly affect any chances he has at a job on Capitol Hill as a future lobbyist.

It’s notable to see Republicans like Tillis and Burr move contrary to the Republican Party’s message on guns, even if the decision they’re supporting is the right one. It also shows some level of understanding that their state, like the rest of the country, has a diversity of perspectives on gun control. If less than half of adults live with guns in the home, that means the majority of North Carolinians don’t.

While half of the United States wants stricter gun laws, what that actually looks like is complicated. A vast majority of both parties want to keep mentally ill people from buying guns, start background checks for private sales and gun show purchases. After that, the parties diverge rapidly: Republicans are less likely to support assault-style weapons bans, high-capacity magazine bans, or creating a federal database to track gun sales. This bill, at the very least, is a good first step.

Now, the true decision falls on the states. They don’t have to change gun control laws, but they receive federal aid when they do. It will also target mental health, something that comes up often alongside gun control debates in the wake of shootings. Both N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore and state Senate leader Phil Berger have been dismissive of gun control proposals, including red flag laws. They should take a page from Burr and Tillis’s books and stick their necks out to better represent the will of North Carolinians.

This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 7:12 PM.