FRANKLIN, Tennessee – The chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), told The Tennessee Star at the Williamson County GOP’s monthly mix and mingle event on Friday that he thinks the Senate bipartisan deal that includes red flag law incentives won’t go through if the focus is gun control.
In response to a question asked by The Star if he thought the deal would come to pass, Scott said, “I think if they focus on school safety, there’s an opportunity. If they focus on gun control, there won’t be a deal.”
Democrat U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) a known proponent of gun control, and U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) announced a framework of a deal on June 12 that included incentives for red flag laws.
The red flag law section of the announcement read, “Provides resources to states and tribes to create and administer laws that help ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals whom a court has determined to be a significant danger to themselves or others, consistent with state and federal due process and constitutional protections.”
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said a couple of days later, “I’m comfortable with the framework, and if the legislation ends up reflecting what the framework indicates, I’ll be supportive.”
The Star previously reported Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs explained the problem with red flag laws.
“I think the most important thing to remember is we already have laws on the books to give the government the ability to get weapons out of the hands of people who suffer from mental health issues, but the key thing is those existing laws give them due process,” Jacobs explained, referencing the fact that Baker laws already exist in all 50 states.
“Red flag laws go against all Anglo-American jurisprudence. They deprive people of their rights without due process,” he added.
U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) recently blasted red flag laws, saying in part, “A federal red flag law would create millions of second-class citizens. It won’t stop mass shooters but will deprive millions of Americans of due process and their Second Amendment rights.”
Scott’s statement to The Star may signal that Republicans in the U.S. Senate may not be as willing to sign on to the compromise legislation as first thought.
ABC News reported on Thursday that the talks over the legislation appear to have stalled. One of the provisions that is holding things up is said to be the red flag law incentives that would be given to the states that enact such legislation.
The Star additionally spoke with Scott about why he feels the Republicans are going to take control of the U.S. Senate and key issues that will decide the 2022 midterm elections.
“Number one is candidates. We have great candidates. Their candidates are far left Bernie Sanders disciples,” said Scott. “Joe Biden’s numbers are crumbling. This is an election about the incompetence of Joe Biden and the Democrats.”
“I think the issues are going to be: gas prices, food prices, baby formula shortage, energy independence, Democrats pushing Critical Race Theory, Democrats pushing defunding the police – so I think those are going to be the big issues,” explained Senator Scott.
Senator Scott also talked about the races he thinks that the Republicans will in November, including the ones that most people will consider to be surprise victories for the GOP.
“I think we’re going to win in Georgia, New Hampshire, Arizona, Nevada… The ones I think you’ll be surprised – we’re going to win in Washington with Tiffany Smiley. I think we’re going to win in Colorado. I think we’re going to win in Connecticut,” he said.
This article originally appeared in The Tennesee Star. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News. Republished with permission.
Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
How does confiscating one tool – firearms – from a potential murderer, lessen the risk of same? What about the knives, 2 X 4s, bricks, matches, ropes, etc. that (s)he still has access to? The _most_ dangerous weapon existing is the human mind and the body to carry out its schemes. Politicians utterly fail to comprehend or admit that. OTOH, maybe it really _is_ all about disarming the public, and not criminal control at all!? If it’s about disarmament the question becomes…why?
When the Left talks of Red Flag Laws they want to be able to take away Ted Cruz or Sean Hannity’s guns with an anonymous phone call. They don’t mean taking away a mentally disturbed person’s rights…
How did Rick Scott accede to that position? Did no one else want it?
He bought it, the same as other leadership positions.
In my view, a red flag law would have stopped the deranged teen-ager who bought “legally’ two military style weapons within two days of his 18th birthday. A red flag law would only “flag” a potential mass shooter. But, again, that’s just in my view. I support the 2nd amendment, but not to the extent as we saw in Uvalde.
McConnell and Cornyn, your move will bite you in your lard butts come re-election time. We eon’t forget.
Rick Scott, we have watched the riots, the civil unrest, the agitation of races against each other, the disrespect, the calls to trash our civil rights and constitution and the open threats. Now you want us to trust the left with new powers? How many times do you expect us to let them chip away at our foundation and surrender to the lefts absurdities. Look to the east in Ukraine and tell us thats the path. The lefts game plan is well published yet you want to warm up to them. They are the cause and you sir have lost site of your oath to defend the constitution from those that will erode its elements. Correct our sociatal problems by enforcing the laws against law breakers, putting them in jail and dismantling the lefts methods for dividing us to stay in power and openly threatening your constituents.
I may be a conservative, and I am totally against defunding our police, giving gun control to our government hacks, allowing judges to decide on experiments to maim and kill animals and a myriad of other atrocities. Stop this. You will be the death of all of us. We need to return to some kind of sanity in this country. My retirement is being ruined and I worked for 40 odd years for this! May God help all of you when you meet your maker!
When will the anti gun fools understand that guns DO NOT KILL PEOPLE? Deranged people kill people with guns! What about all the other weapons used to kill people? Knives, hatchets, broken bottles, clubs and all the rest! Are you going to ban all those as well? Responsible gun owners are NOT the issue! Crazies with weapons are! Red flag laws allows anyone with an issue with someone else can “ report” them as bieng dangerous! That is a load of crap! Biden himself has multiple guns( so says his crackhead son), yet he isn’t giving his up! How many not so stable people in our government have guns? Think about that!
More murders have been recorded from fists and feet (kicking, stomping) than from AR style rifles.