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Delaware House Approves Mental Health Gun Takeaway Bill

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The Delaware House of Representatives has approved a measure that would allow police to temporarily take firearms from someone based on a mental health work’s judgment that he or she is a danger to themselves or others.

The vote was unanimous – 30-to-0.

The Wilmington News Journal reports that the measure was introduced before the mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida that took 17 lives.

The paper reports that Democratic Representative David Bentz said that too many times after such shooting lawmakers say that something should be done about mental health.

He added, “This is good policy.”

The News Journal reports that this is one of several state across the country that have passed “red flag laws”.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.