I served alongside Bethany Hall-Long in the General Assembly for seven years and saw her compassion and values firsthand. That’s why it’s so deeply frustrating to see how things can easily get distorted during a political campaign.
Bethany has been a supporter of gun safety legislation for more than a decade, voting to close the gun show and “Charleston” loopholes, strengthen background checks and keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t possess them.
Nowhere was this more evident than Delaware’s first attempt at a red flag law, my House Bill 88 in 2013. I worked with then-Attorney General Beau Biden, Bethany and others to write a bill that would have reduced gun violence by restricting access to firearms for those who present a danger to themselves or others.
Bethany was one of a handful of senators who stood strong and voted for HB 88. Even some of the most progressive senators at the time voted against it, and we had to wait a full five years for Delaware’s red flag law to pass.
As lieutenant governor, Bethany has continued to show support for gun safety issues, whether it’s standing with students who walked out of school after the Parkland shooting or supporting permit-to-purchase, an assault weapons ban, raising the age for long-gun sales and banning large-capacity magazines.
Bethany’s record on gun safety is clear, and her “F” rating from the National Rifle Association is proof. I believe that, if she is elected governor, she will continue to stand up for safer communities and work hard to address gun safety and drug abuse issues, which are destroying our communities.
Mike Barbieri
Former state representative
Newark
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
