NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is looking to increase funding for priorities Democrats and Republicans can agree on when it comes to public safety and mental health.
"There are already provisions on the books for the civil commitment of individuals who are adjudicated as being a danger to themselves or others," Schmidt said. "They, of course, can be restrained until the threat abates and while they are restrained, they obviously can't have a firearm. That's been current law in Kansas for a very long time. I think the real key in some of these discussions is, for example, making sure that due process attaches anytime the government tries to infringe a Constitutional right. That's true in speech, that's true in religion, that's true in search and seizure. That's true in the Second Amendment."
Schmidt wants to talk about treating the people, not taking the guns.
"I really think the fruitful focus is on dealing with mental health issues, on dealing with behavioral issues on trying to nip the misbehavior in the bud, before it becomes a threat to anybody."
However, Schmidt does want to make sure those who are prohibited from owning guns serve time for using them, if they commit another crime.
"I proposed legislation this year," Schmidt said. "It got a hearing and a warm reception in the legislature, but didn't actually make it through the process, but we should try again next year. It is aimed very specifically at felons. People who have already committed and been convicted of felonies. Because of that, under current law, they are not allowed to lawfully possess firearms. In many cases, they do anyway. Then they use those firearms they are not even supposed to have, to commit new violent crimes. We want to make sure that the gun crime they have committed gets its own separate punishment."
The bill would tack the gun crime sentence on to the end of whatever the violent crime sentence is. That is part of a larger safety framework Schmidt publicized June 7.