5. The battle over state gun laws

New state-level <span style="font-weight:bold;color:#0b8f49">gun safety laws</span> or <span style="font-weight:bold;color:#E6A220">gun rights laws</span> in 2021, by stated policy type
Data: Giffords Law Center; Chart: Will Chase/Axios. Note: Bills under same category can have varying levels of strength.

Federal gun control proposals have stalled out, but 44 states and the District of Columbia have enacted around 200 gun and community violence-related laws this year, according to data from the gun safety group Giffords Law Center provided to Axios.

Why it matters: Firearm purchases have spiked, with the FBI conducting a record number of firearm background checks last year. President Biden launched efforts to prevent gun violence, but Congress hasn't budged, leaving it to the states to set their own gun laws.

Previous StoryNext Story