Gun laws had mixed success this election: in Alabama, gun rights made major gains, while Washington state passed a law mandating strict background checks.
Alabama voters amended their constitution to make bearing arms a fundamental right, and require that any restriction on that right “be subject to strict scrutiny.” Additionally, those rights cannot be violated by any international law or treaty that conflicts with the constitution.
This means that, in order for any gun control measure to pass, the state would have to prove a compelling government interest in doing so.
The measure passed overwhelmingly, 71 to 29 percent.
But in Washington state, a ballot initiative mandating background checks on all gun sales and transfers passed 60 to 41 percent. This will eliminate the “gun show loophole,” and require all online and gun show sales to include background checks. The only exceptions will be gun transfers among family members and antique gun sales.
A competing ballot initiative which would have banned the state from enacting stricter background check requirements than the federal government, thereby canceling out the first measure, failed, with 45 percent voting yes and 54 percent no.
Activists like Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates spent millions promoting the Washington state background checks.
