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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 6, 2019 03:05 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Brian Kirkland |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Firearms: Toy Purchases |
| A young boy throwing snowballs while playing with a toy pellet gun is shot dead after someone calls about a child waving a “probably fake” gun at a playground. A teenager playing cops and robbers with a realistic-looking replica rifle who, even with the blaze orange tip still on, killed by a housing officer. These scenarios, however heartbreaking, are not uncommon in the United States. With easy access to cheap, realistic looking toy firearms at corner stores, toy shops, and other retail establishments, children around the country are putting themselves at risk every time they play with a realistic toy firearm. The ease with which toy guns can be bought, combined with the difficulty law enforcement officers face in making split-second identifications of firearms, continues to result in painful injuries, trauma, and deaths. To combat this issue, my legislation would prohibit the purchase of realistic toy firearms by individuals under 18 years of age, unless they are accompanied by an adult at the time of purchase. While this legislation does not prohibit the complete sale of realistic toy firearms throughout the state, it does make it harder for minors to acquire these potentially unidentifiable replicas without an adult’s consent or knowledge. As the proud father of a young daughter, I cannot, in good faith, continue to support minors purchasing realistic toy guns without adult supervision. Please join me in reducing access to realistic toy guns for minors as I believe it is time that we protect our children and our law enforcement officers from potentially tense situations that could scar both the child and the officer for life. |
Introduced as HB740