Bill To Prevent Children 12 & Under From Handling Automatic Machine Guns Passes Out Of House Committee

A measure to prohibit adults from letting a child who is 12-years-old or younger handle a fully automatic machine gun passed out of the House Criminal Justice Committee on a 7 to 6 vote. Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton says she brought forth this bill after a nine-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed her instructor with an Uzi submachine gun in Arizona.

“There are an estimated 110 unintentional firearms deaths to children from 0-14 years old, annually here in the United States.”

The bill would subject adults to a fine if they violate the proposed law. Norton says she is pro-gun and supports children of a proper age learning the correct way to shoot guns. She says she filed this measure strictly for the safety of young children too small to operate these weapons.

“I know that there are many of you up there who probably shoot guns every day, every week but because of your weight and because of your understanding, you’re able to do whatever it is that you choose with that gun.”

But Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala says this measure subjects gun collectors to a fine.

“Some 12 year old child comes along and says can I see that and he pulls it out of the gun case and just lets the kid hold it, under supervision, not loaded or anything, he’s now subjected himself to a $1,000 fine.”