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Less than half of Americans say they support stricter gun laws, a new Quinnipiac poll suggests, the lowest level of support since 2005, as
the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to issue a major ruling that could roll back gun control laws nationwide.
The Quinnipiac poll, conducted November 11-15 among 1,378 U.S. adults, found 45% back stricter gun laws, while 49% oppose them.That’s down from 54% support for stricter laws in April, Quinnipiac noted, and marks the first time less than 50% have supported more stringent rules since December 2015, when 47% were in favor of them.
Republicans primarily drove the opposition to harsher laws, with only 13% in support of stricter laws versus 91% of Democrats, and women were far more likely to back increased restrictions than men (57% support stricter laws versus 33% of men).
A 48% plurality believed the U.S. would be less safe “if more people carried guns,” however, though 70% of Republicans believed it would be safer.
Though more Americans may favor less restrictive laws, a 62% majority still believe there should be restrictions on gun owners when it comes to carrying firearms in public places.
That includes even 42% of Republicans, 45% of gun owners and 51% of those with a gun owner in their household.
Tangent
Just 43% of respondents said real firearms should be banned from film and television sets, after actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during production of the film Rust in October, while a 49% plurality said firearms should still be allowed. Support has grown among film and television professionals to stop the use of real firearms on film sets, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson saying he will no longer allow guns on his sets and showrunners of the shows The Rookie and The Boys committing to ban live guns.
Big Number
44. That’s the number of states that have passed new gun-related laws this year, according to data from the Giffords Law Center reported by Axios, with approximately 200 laws passed. Of those, 24 states and Washington, D.C., have passed laws that increase gun safety regulations, while 16 have enacted policies backed by pro-gun lobbying groups.
What To Watch For
The U.S. Supreme Court is now deliberating whether New York’s restrictions on concealed carry should be struck down, after hearing a case challenging the law earlier this month. The court’s conservative justices signaled during the hearing they may rule against the law, questioning how the state determines which gun owners are granted licenses to carry firearms. If the court does rule against New York, the decision could have sweeping implications for other states with restrictions on concealed carry, as well as gun regulations more broadly, depending on how the justices interpret the Second Amendment and its right to “bear arms.” It’s unclear when the ruling will come out, but it will be at some point before the court’s term ends in June.
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