New Idaho bill may stop domestic abusers from owning guns

A new bill is making its way to the Idaho house floor designed to prevent people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from owning or purchasing a gun for two years.

House Bill 585 was in committee Thursday night and passed on a voice vote. Representative Melissa Wintrow, the bill’s sponsor from Boise, says women are five times more likely to be killed if a gun is in a domestic violence situation.

If approved, the bill would prohibit those convicted from possessing a gun for two years after the conviction.

Wintrow says this is a preventative bill that will close the loophole between the federal and state laws, and give local law enforcement the tools to effectively police this.

“The law basically closes the loophole and would prevent somebody who was convicted — not an allegation, not a charge — convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence prohibiting them from owning a firearm or possessing it for two years. And then it’s just restored. So that two years really gives a nice opportunity for folks to find safety, seek services, resources, programming. Its really a prevention tool,” said Wintrow.

28 states and the District of Columbia have already passed similar legislation. Texas is included in that count, and Utah passed similar legislation last year.

Wintrow believes this bill will be heard on the house floor next week.