Idaho kills gun control bill aimed at domestic abusers

BOISE – Idaho’s House has spiked a proposal that would have prevented convicted domestic abusers from owning guns.

House GOP members voted 39-31 on Tuesday to prevent the measure from moving to the Senate after critics argued the bill infringed upon the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

A recent opinion from the Idaho Attorney General’s office countered HB 585 did not violate constitutional rights.

Twenty Republican members joined the House’s 11 Democratic members in support. Law enforcement agencies who also supported the bill, arguing it would help them better protect their communities

However, in Idaho, efforts to increase any hint of gun control are often blocked by GOP legislative leaders – particularly in a year where every state lawmaker is up for re-election in the upcoming May primary election.