Six months after a deadly mass shooting by an Army reservist, Maine lawmakers this week passed a wide-ranging package of new gun restrictions.
Three months after a fatal school shooting, Iowa lawmakers this week passed legislation allowing trained teachers and staff to carry guns on school property.
Two states. Two tragedies. Two different approaches to improving public safety.
“We live in two different Americas, in essence,” said Daniel Webster, a health policy professor affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
“We see terrible acts of gun violence; no one wants them, of course,” Webster said. “But we see this through different lenses.”
Legislatures in about 20 states already have passed measures this year to expand gun rights or restrict access to firearms. Dozens more proposals are pending. The divide continues a trend seen last year, when more than half the states enacted firearms legislation, with Democrats generally favoring more limits and Republicans more freedoms for gun owners.
Arkansas hires Kenny Payne as associate head coach under John Calipari
Berlin zoo celebrates the 67th birthday of Fatou, believed to be the world's oldest gorilla
Maine governor signs bill restricting paramilitary training in response to neo
Russian authorities announced mass evacuation for flood
Louisiana lawmakers reject minimum wage raise and protections for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace
Arizona abortion law: Trump pushes state lawmakers to remedy ruling
Belarus convicts a famous dissident rock band and sentences its members to correctional labor
Kelly Clarkson, 41, rocks a little black dress highlighting her 40
At least 13 people are killed and an estimated 15,000 displaced by flooding in Kenya
Mariska Hargitay is mistaken for real
Heavy rain across Kauai prompts rescues from floodwater, but no immediate reports of injuries