New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker released a sweeping gun control proposal as he tries to break out in the 2020 Democratic field.
Booker’s plan would require licenses for all gun owners, mandate universal background checks, and ban assault weapons.
"The plan starts with a simple idea: if you need a license to drive a car, you should need a license to buy and possess a gun," Booker’s campaign said in a news release calling it "the most sweeping gun violence prevention proposal ever put forth by a presidential candidate."
Under the proposal, anyone intent on buying a gun would have to submit an application to a designated office, submit fingerprints for an FBI background check, provide "basic background information," and "demonstrate completion of a certified gun safety course."
Booker’s campaign noted that Connecticut saw a 40% drop in gun homicides after it passed a similar law requiring a license to purchase handguns.
Booker plan includes a lot more:
Along with gun licenses and universal background checks, the plan would create a commission to provide oversight over gun manufacturer and end manufacturers’ legal immunity so that victims of gun violence can sue when “a gun dealer or manufacturer has acted negligently."
The plan also calls for handgun microstamping technology to help law enforcement trace ammunition used in crimes, ending the “boyfriend loophole” to extend domestic violence protections against dating partners instead of just spouses, and provides funding for gun violence research.
The plan would also ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and bump stocks and limit handgun purchases to one per month.
Booker vowed to use executive action to implement some of the policies on day one of his presidency and called for the IRS to investigate the NRA to determine whether “certain activities recently reported in the news media should lead to revocation of its tax-exempt status."
