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Comparing Gun Laws Across Our Region

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Last week’s mass shooting at an Oregon community college has once again brought the topic of gun control to the forefront of U.S. politics. Oregon, like most states in our region, has relatively lax laws and doesn’t mandate background checks on private gun sales.

Both major party candidates in next month's Kentucky gubernatorial election - Democrat Jack Conway and Republican Matt Bevin - have upheld their support of the 2nd Amendment in the aftermath of the Oregon shooting. In a Centre College debate this week, Conway said unchecked mental illness is more to blame than access to firearms.

“We as states need to do a better job of actually putting into the registries the names of the mentally ill to make certain that guns don’t get into their hands,” Conway said.

Bevin, who says he and his wife are concealed carriers, argued against any new restrictive legislation.

“We should not have it so easy for someone to walk into a school or a theatre or wherever and know that nobody will challenge them,” Bevin said.

The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a national special interest group, maintains a database that outlines each state’s firearm policies. You can find a curated list below, including laws from Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois.

Kentucky

  • No mandatory background checks on private gun sales
  • No imposed waiting period on firearm purchases
  • No prohibition on assault weapons
  • No required reporting of lost or stolen firearms
  • No open carry restrictions
  • Concealed carry permitted with license

Tennessee

  • Conducts its own background checks on gun purchasers
  • Bars domestic violence abusers from buying or owning firearms
  • Mandates mental health records be reported to a database for firearm purchaser background checks
  • No mandatory background checks for private gun sales
  • No prohibition on assault weapons or large magazines
  • No state license requirement for firearm dealers
  • No required reporting of lost or stolen firearms
  • No imposed waiting period on firearm purchases
  • Open and concealed carry permitted with license

Illinois

  • Requires all individuals without concealed handgun permits to obtain a ten-year license to purchase or possess guns and ammunition. Requires background check
  • Imposed waiting period between gun purchase and receipt – 24 hours for long guns and 72 hours for handguns
  • Maintains Child Access Prevention law that prohibits leaving a firearm accessible to a minor under age 14
  • Requires gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement
  • No state license requirement for firearm dealers
  • Concealed carry is permitted for those over the age of 21 that complete a required training course
  • Open carry is prohibited
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