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Senate debates handgun‑purchase restriction tied to protective orders and decides to defer action
Summary
Senate Bill 2 42 would bar handgun purchases by persons under protective orders for the duration of the order; sponsors cited 1994 domestic homicide statistics. After floor debate about fiscal implications and overlap with a prioritized House bill, the Senate circled the bill for later action.
Senate Bill 2 42, introduced by Senator Steiner, would prohibit persons subject to protective orders from purchasing handguns for the length of the protective order. Steiner told colleagues the protective order typically runs 120 days and argued the temporary prohibition addresses an immediate safety risk, citing floor data: "Last year, 1994, there were 18 domestic homicides. Of these, 13 involved firearms and 8 of those were handguns."
The bill’s proponents said the state has a compelling interest in restricting access to firearms at high‑risk moments. Other senators raised procedural and fiscal questions. Some members urged substituting or deferring to a prioritized House measure (House Bill 314/3 14) that contains overlapping domestic‑violence provisions; proponents argued passing SB 2 42 would put the Senate on record supporting this policy this session. Floor managers ultimately moved to circle the bill rather than adopt it that night, deferring further action so related House priorities could be reconciled.
No final vote on the statutory prohibition was recorded on the floor; the clerk noted the bill was circled. The transcript records substantive floor argument and numerical assertions used to justify the temporary prohibition, but the legislative record in this session indicates a choice to defer rather than adopt the Senate’s standalone measure pending further coordination with the House.
Next steps identified on the floor included possible substitution with House language, conference or waiting until the prioritized House bill's disposition the following day.
