Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah. (KSL file photo)
SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, says Congress needs to take a “holistic approach” to addressing school gun violence to understand underlying problems and possible solutions.
“I have three kids that are in public schools. So to me, this is not about scoring political points. It’s actually about making a difference in our schools,” Love told KSL Newsradio’s Doug Wright on Thursday.
Congress should be listening to teachers and students as they make policy to keep schools safe, she said.
“My daughter even mentioned, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to stop the violent thoughts before I become the victim of a violent act?'”
In a recent editorial for the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune, Love said she’s “open to all suggestions for solutions, and I’m eagerly pursuing a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of school violence.”
The congresswoman told Wright she’s open to banning bump stock devices that enable guns to fire like automatic weapons, like those used in last year’s mass shooting in Las Vegas.
“I don’t know why we need them,” Love said. “I’ve gone hunting, and I’ve never had a use for them.”
The Justice Department last week announced that it has started the process to amend federal firearms regulations to clarify that federal law defines bump stocks as machine guns.