NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2011: The following statement was released today by Mayors Against Illegal Guns:
The Tucson shooter, Jared Loughner, had a history of drug arrests, drug abuse and mental health issues. He was nonetheless able to pass a federal background check and buy the Glock pistol and high-capacity magazines he used to kill six people and seriously injure 13 others. Why? Because the federal background check system has critical gaps and is chronically underfunded - even though Congress and President George W. Bush reformed the program after the Virginia Tech massacre.
The shootings in Arizona supply the latest example of the system's serious flaws. Under federal law, drug abusers and addicts are prohibited from buying guns. Loughner was arrested on drug charges in 2007 and rejected from enlistment from the U.S. Army in 2008 after admitting to habitual drug use. Less than a year later, he passed a background check and bought a shotgun. If the system had worked and records were available to demonstrate Loughner's drug offense and abuse, he would have failed that background check.
This is not the first time the failure to obtain and maintain relevant records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) allowed a dangerous person to slip through cracks in the law. On April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people at Virginia Tech before taking his own life. Cho was found to be a danger to himself by a special justice of the Montgomery County General District Court on December 14, 2005. Therefore, under federal law, Cho could not purchase any firearm. But the records of his mental health problem weren't in the NICS system because the general practice at the time was to only submit involuntary inpatient mental health orders, even though outpatient orders are also disqualifying under federal law.
In the wake of Virginia Tech, there was a national consensus to require better reporting of mental health records to the NICS system, and Congress responded. Less than two months after the shootings, the House unanimously passed the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, which created incentives for states to improve the reporting of mental health information into background check system. The Senate passed an amended bill, again unanimously, later that year. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on January 8, 2008.
The number of mental health NICS records has increased significantly under the new law, but there is much more to be done:
There were 298,571 mental health records at the end of 2006.
There were 1,107,758 mental health records at the end of 2010.
The best available estimates indicate that there are more than 1,000,000 mental health records still missing, along with millions of other records on various types of prohibited purchasers.
Some states have made dramatic progress:
According to the most recent state-specific data available – as of March 31, 2010 – three states have submitted more than 100,000 records:
California: 256,106, an increase from 21 records at the end of 2006.
New York: 154,962, an increase from 1 record at the end of 2006.
Virginia: 139,185, an increase from 78,478 records at the end of 2006.
Arizona has also made some progress:
Arizona has submitted 5,036 records, up from zero at the end of 2006.
Still, many states have made little or no progress reporting largely because Congress failed to follow through with funding. Federal appropriators have granted only 5.3% of the authorized amount from FY 2009 through FY 2011:
FY2009 Authorized: $187.5 million, appropriated: $10 million (5.3%)
FY2010 Authorized: $375 million, appropriated: $20 million (5.3%)
FY2011 Authorized: $375 million, appropriated: $20 million* (5.3%)
*Continuing Resolution funded NICS Improvement Act program at FY10 level. FY11 appropriations legislation has not been enacted.
In part as a result of chronic underfunding, ten states still have no people flagged as mentally ill in NICS: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Eighteen more states and the District of Columbia still have fewer than 100 people listed as mentally ill in NICS: Iowa, Utah, Maryland, Vermont, Maine, Illinois, South Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky, Montana, Wyoming, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oregon, and South Dakota.
Millions of records are still missing. As of December 31, 2011, only 2,092 people are listed as drug abusers or addicts in NICS.
For more information, please read the coalition's letter calling for full funding of the NICS Improvement Act.
Topics:
|
|
Discussing:
- How the Cost of a Burger Stacks Up in Every State (1 reply)
- Judge blocks Biden administration rule capping credit card late fees at $8 (1 reply)
- Knoxville stays among top-10 US cities for rising home prices, most realtors expect continued increases over the next year (1 reply)
- Private equity ownership of hospitals made care riskier for patients, a new study finds (24 replies)
- Labor Dept. says Tennessee firm employed minors to clean meat saws, head splitters at slaughterhouses (3 replies)
- Yowza! That was some storm last night (2 replies)
- Why are prices still so high? Corporate greed, some say (4 replies)
- UT pro-Palestine protests (7 replies)
- Boeing was once known for safety and engineering (11 replies)
- Walmart is closing its health centers and virtual care service (5 replies)
- Accidental shooting at local park? (4 replies)
- Oracle is moving its world headquarters to Nashville (2 replies)
TN Progressive
- Toons (RoaneViews)
- Appeals court: Wildlife officers’ warrantless searches of private property are unconstitutional (RoaneViews)
- Friday Toon (RoaneViews)
- Kimmell Destroys Trump in Monologue (RoaneViews)
- Chef steals food to serve at restaurant? (BlountViews)
- Blount County, TDOT make road deal for gun mfg ignoring town of Louisville,TN, (BlountViews)
- It's voting time again. Let's get out the vote. (BlountViews)
- Winter at the Big Rocks (Whitescreek Journal)
- Maryville Daily Times Home Delivery changing again (BlountViews)
- Secrets from My Radio Days (Joe Powell)
- Fall 2022 (Whitescreek Journal)
- Mmmm, A Fresh Hot Cup of Joe (Joe Powell)
TN Politics
- U.S. House panel debates voting by noncitizens, which is already illegal (TN Lookout)
- Independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, Jr. makes brief, late stop in Nashville (TN Lookout)
- U.S. Senate GOP tries to block states from spending some of their COVID relief cash (TN Lookout)
- Conservative groups stand in way of governor’s private-school vouchers (TN Lookout)
- Vanderbilt faces renewed challenge over plans for Rutherford County hospital (TN Lookout)
- Six months and counting until the 2024 presidential election (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- Beaver Creek Flotilla is Saturday (Knox TN Today)
- Tracking down joy (Knox TN Today)
- Cruising with Headricks, Crockers (Knox TN Today)
- Opening soon: New Harvest Dog Park (Knox TN Today)
- What’s new at Kern’s Food Hall (Knox TN Today)
- Come meet the world’s greatest eater (Knox TN Today)
- College + Industry developing new degree programs (Knox TN Today)
- Research shows effects of chemicals downstream (Knox TN Today)
- Bullhead melody (Knox TN Today)
- Honey Badger gets spectacular shot of northern lights (Knox TN Today)
- Spring brings whirlwind to Realty Executives (Knox TN Today)
- Find some treasures at Vintage, Etc. (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- 10Investigates: Consumer complaints against Ole Ben Franklin Motors (WBIR)
- Ace's Home Run Hangout: where a love for baseball can carry on forever (WATE)
- Rangers searching for man whose vehicle was found in the Chimney Tops overlook area (WATE)
- New mental health facility in North Knoxville aims to give another option for help (WATE)
- To tip or not to tip: Knoxville etiquette expert shares what to know (WATE)
- Lawsuits filed as town and developers clash over proposed quarry in Greenback (WATE)
- Single mother's dream comes true with help from Habitat for Humanity (WATE)
- Roane County couple accused in children's deaths face key court hearing Tuesday (WBIR)
- Family of fallen Knox Co. deputy Tucker Blakely attends 2024 Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial Service (WBIR)
- Tennessee Theatre hosts first-ever Marquee Awards to honor high school musicals (WBIR)
- 'We are heartbroken and grieving' | Zoo Knoxville humanely euthanizes 46-year-old elephant Tonka (WBIR)
- Tennessee Valley Fair announces Ludacris to perform in September (WBIR)
News Sentinel
State News
- Prep roundup: Chattanooga Christian softball team clinches Spring Fling berth with 18-run outburst - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Chattanooga executive budget higher than many other city services and departments - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Opinion: This is a conservative action? - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Chattanooga Times Free Press helps readers decide what to eat next with paid newsletter initiative - Editor And Publisher Magazine (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- 'Day of celebration': Detroit sees first population growth since 1957 - Detroit News (US News)
- Severe storms kill at least 4 in Houston, knock out power to 900000 homes and businesses - The Associated Press (US News)
- China announces sweeping steps to stabilise property sector - Reuters (Business)
- Daniel Perry: Texas pardons US soldier who shot Black Lives Matter protester - BBC.com (US News)
- China's economic recovery diverges as factory output jumps and retail sales lag - Financial Times (Business)
- Trump trial live updates: Trump attorney questions Michael Cohen’s credibility - The Independent (US News)
- Biden's special counsel interview audio release blocked by White House - The Associated Press (US News)
- US House votes to force weapons shipments to Israel, rebuking Biden - Reuters (US News)
- Biden takes another step to fast-track asylum process for border crossers - Axios (US News)
- Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems to lay off hundreds days after whistleblower death - The Independent (Business)
- Is the move to electric cars running out of power? - BBC.com (Business)
- Cramer says these 10 stocks helped the Dow briefly crack 40,000 - CNBC (Business)
- Sam Altman, leader of OpenAI and one of Reddit's largest investors, is further aligning his interests with an alliance between the two - Fortune (Business)
- Maine mass shooter's family says his 'brain was hijacked' by injuries tied to his military service - NBC News (US News)
- Walmart market cap tops $500B post Q1 results - Yahoo Finance (Business)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
- Blount Dems
- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South