LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky Republican lawmaker says he's working on a bill to prevent gun-related deaths, while also retaining second amendment rights.
It's called CARR, standing for 'Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention.' The legislation was first introduced in the state in 2022.
That similar proposal got bipartisan support in the Kentucky General Assembly then, but it has yet to pass.
It's a bill that would allow law enforcement to temporarily seize a person's gun, if a judge deems them in crisis and a risk to themselves or others.
Kentucky Senator Whitney Westerfield (R-3) said the goal is to find a practical middle ground.
"Trying to avoid tragedies, but still retain rights at the same time," Westerfield said. "It really comes down to how you can protect against a potential break, which in a lot of cases is actually a suicide."
Westerfield told WHAS11 catastrophic events like the Uvalde mass shooting and the mass shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville have "moved the needle."
"Every time one of these tragedies happen, it does motivate people. It encourages people to talk about it in ways they haven't before," he said.
But will discussions lead to action?
That's the question facing Westerfield and other Kentucky lawmakers in next year's legislative session.
Westerfield says a draft of the CARR bill is in the works.
"There are people today who are talking about something like CARR, who wouldn't have touched that bill two, three, four or five years ago, so we are making progress. Is it enough to pass something in '24? I don't know. But we're closer in '24 than we were in '23," he said.
Westerfield also said he supports Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg's proposal to disable, or even destroy, confiscated guns that were used in homicides -- saying it "seems like a really easy fix."
Greenberg said he's pleased more Kentucky legislators are speaking up.
"This is not a partisan issue. Regardless of political party, everybody wants illegal guns off the street. Everybody wants to reduce the amount of gun violence that's happening in our city and our state," Greenberg told WHAS11 on Tuesday.
As for Westerfield, he said his door is open to the mayor for negotiations on this issue.
"I look forward to hearing from him and his team, and if they want to reach out and if I can be a resource to them, or they can be a resource to me, by all means [reach out]. Please."
Greenberg said he has a comprehensive plan focused on reducing illegal guns and bringing new tools to law enforcement to arrest the main drivers of gun violence. He says that plan will be announced soon.
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