DELAWARE - The Delaware State Senate has passed Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 2, which would require a permit and training to purchase a handgun in the First State.
SS 1 for SB 2 mandates that Delawareans would need to take an approved training course within five years before they’re able to obtain a permit to buy a handgun.
Democrats in Delaware lauded the passage of the legislation, citing the need to combat a rise in gun violence. The bill was sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman and House Majority Leader Melissa Minor-Brown.
The bill was previously passed in the House of Representatives in December and is now headed to Governor John Carney’s desk. In a statement released Thursday night, Carney underscored his support of the bill.
“As I said in my State of the State Address, reducing gun violence in our communities is a shared priority,” the Democratic Governor said. “We’ve made progress to keep our communities safe these past seven years. We’ve banned assault weapons, bump stocks, and high-capacity magazines. We’ve passed red flag laws and prevented straw purchases. Passing this piece of legislation is another important step. I want to thank the members of the Delaware Senate and Delaware House of Representatives for their leadership on this issue, along with the advocates who have supported gun safety efforts in our state. I look forward to signing this bill into law.”
Republican lawmakers in Delaware expressed their disappointment in the passage of the law, claiming the Senate Majority rejected amendments proposed by Republican lawmakers.
“This afternoon, the Delaware State Senate engaged in a lengthy debate regarding SS 1 for SB 2, as amended,” said Senate Republican Leader Gerald Hocker. “Our caucus offered 13 amendments during the discussion, all of which were deemed “unfriendly” by the Senate Majority. These amendments included language that would clarify no firearm registry could be implemented, require prompt issuance of a permit if certain criteria were met, allow for a longer period in which individuals could acquire legal counsel should a permit be denied, and more.”
Conservative lawmakers said they remained confident, however, that the judicial system would find the law unconstitutional.
A similar permit to purchase law in Maryland was challenged late last year by a federal court. It remains to be seen if the courts will similarly challenge Delaware’s new gun legislation.
Firearm advocates in Delaware told us on Friday this legislation is unconstitutional. Jeff Hague, President of the Delaware State Sportsmen's Association said neighbors across the First State should be disappointed.
"They're requiring somebody to apply to exercise their constitutional right and getting permission from an unelected appointed official to buy a firearm," said Hague. "That's not the way this country should be."
However, the additional training this bill would require is a good idea in the eyes of some gun owners in Delaware. Mark Thompson, who's been shooting for the better part of 50 years, said he's in favor of this bill, in part because of a training course he recently took.
"It also gave me some thoughts about what the impacts of using weapons are," said Thompson. "We went through some scenarios which was really good to say 'hey, do I want a gun, do I really want to use a gun'?"
When Carney does sign this bill into law, Hague said the DSSA will file a lawsuit. Hague said that will come either on the day the bill is signed or the day after.
We reached out to Governor Carney's office on Friday to see when he plans on inking his signature. His office told us they are still working out the scheduling.