Montini: Will Arizona lawmakers help foster kids get guns?

Meantime, back here in Arizona ... while the rest of the nation contemplates how to prevent gun violence, our Legislature considers a bill that would make it easier for a child to get a gun.

(If you've lived here long enough this is NOT shocking.) 

House Bill 2535 would prevent the Department of Child Safety from requiring foster parents to be safe with firearms.

The foster parents could be safe with guns, if they chose to do so. But, it would not be required.

No 2nd Amendment issues here

Really.

In entering their contract with the state - promising to care for children in need - foster parents currently agree to keep any weapons in the home unloaded and secured with a trigger lock. Ammunition must be stored in a tamper-proof container.

This bill would eliminate all of that.

The DCS regulations are very similar to guidelines for home safety suggested by the National Rifle Association.

We've been through these discussions before. Recently. Remember the Las Vegas massacre. I hope so. 

The DCS rules do not prohibit foster parents from owning weapons (no infringement on the Second Amendment here) but only require the weapons to be kept in a safe place, where the children in their care can’t get at them.

In the aftermath of the Florida school shooting, and with the level of irresponsibility grown-ups have shown when it comes to keeping firearms away from children, it doesn’t seem like a lot to ask.

Besides, it’s like any other contract. If the requirements seem overreaching the foster parents can opt out of the program.

We're only talking about a little common sense. Which is difficult to do with firearms. We've tried and failed. Many times. 

The sponsor of the bill, Republican Rep. Kevin Payne, said, “Foster parents are just like any other parents in Arizona. They should have Second Amendment rights like any other parents.”

Actually, he’s wrong.

Foster parents are NOT like any other parents.

These good and gracious people enter into a contract with the state to take care of children. There are terms and conditions in every contract. If you don’t like them, don’t sign it. Also, the requirements do not infringe on Second Amendment rights. No one is taking away their right to own firearms, but only making sure the weapons are being kept away from children.

Why would NRA support this bill?

The NRA and other gun enthusiasts announced support of HB 2535.

I know. It doesn’t make any sense since the NRA’s own safety guidelines are so similar.

But this isn’t about safety. It's about power. And it’s certainly not about protecting kids.

It’s about the gun lobby exercising its control over politicians, letting them know that no one sets the “rules” about guns but the gun lobby. And it’s about Arizona lawmakers kowtowing to that political pressure.

The safety of children be damned.

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