Local lawmakers discuss gun rights, crime and enforcement as paths to reduce gun violence

Speakers at the town hall addressed gun rights and strategies to reduce gun crime, offering contrasting emphases on enforcement and prevention.

State Representative Matt Marshall said he is “a staunch supporter of the second amendment” and argued enforcement of existing laws and fewer new burdens on lawful owners are preferable to new regulations that he believes primarily affect lawful gun owners. Marshall said tougher enforcement of criminal statutes and incentives for turning in guns used in crimes are steps he supports.

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland said she also respects lawful gun ownership but emphasized keeping illegal guns out of young people’s hands, improving background checks and addressing underlying causes of youth violence, including mental health and social isolation. “When we have these horrible mass shootings and school shootings, what is going through the mind of a young man…?” Strickland asked, calling for prevention measures alongside enforcement.

Both speakers framed their comments as trying to reduce gun crime while protecting lawful ownership; no new local ordinances or formal actions were proposed at the meeting.