TY - JOUR
T1 - The Legal and Empirical Case for Firearm Purchaser Licensing
AU - Abelow, Hannah
AU - Crifasi, Cassandra
AU - Webster, Daniel
N1 - Funding Information:
Cass Crifasis and Daniel Webster report grants from The Joyce Foundation. Hannah Abelow reports no conflicts of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics.
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - This article argues that state government actors concerned about gun violence prevention should prioritize enactment of robust firearm purchaser regimes at the state level. First, the article outlines the empirical evidence base for purchaser licensing. Then, the article describes how state governments can design this policy. Next, the article assesses the likelihood that purchaser licensing legislation will continue to be upheld by federal courts. Finally, the article addresses the implications of this policy, aimed at curbing gun deaths, for equally important racial justice priorities. Taken together, these various considerations indicate that purchaser licensing policies are among the most effective firearm-focused laws state governments can enact to reduce gun deaths within the existing federal legislative and legal frameworks.
AB - This article argues that state government actors concerned about gun violence prevention should prioritize enactment of robust firearm purchaser regimes at the state level. First, the article outlines the empirical evidence base for purchaser licensing. Then, the article describes how state governments can design this policy. Next, the article assesses the likelihood that purchaser licensing legislation will continue to be upheld by federal courts. Finally, the article addresses the implications of this policy, aimed at curbing gun deaths, for equally important racial justice priorities. Taken together, these various considerations indicate that purchaser licensing policies are among the most effective firearm-focused laws state governments can enact to reduce gun deaths within the existing federal legislative and legal frameworks.
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U2 - 10.1177/1073110520979397
DO - 10.1177/1073110520979397
M3 - Article
C2 - 33404297
AN - SCOPUS:85098890813
SN - 1073-1105
VL - 48
SP - 17
EP - 24
JO - Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics
JF - Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics
IS - 4_suppl
ER -