PBS News Hour

While the country ended 2023 with more# mass shootings than days in the year,## new laws in California, Colorado, Illinois,## Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington# are aimed at preventing gun viol I spoke yesterday with an# expert tracking these new laws.

Adam Winkler is a constitutional law# professor at UCLA and an expert in gun policy.

Thank you for being with us.

ADAM WINKLER, UC GEOFF BENNETT: So, in th Give us a sense of the categories of# restrictions and what they aim to do.

ADAM WINKLER: Well, we have a host of new gun laws# that have gone into effect with this new year.

Some states like California have adopted# new restrictions on who can carry concealed## weapons and where those guns can be# carried.

States like Washington have## expanded background checks and imposed a# waiting period, while still other states## like Michigan and Minnesota have enacted red# flag laws, which allow judges to temporarily## remove firearms from someone who's deemed# a threat to themselves or to others.

GEOFF BENNETT: According to the Gun Violence# Archive, there were more than 650 mass shootings## in the U.S. in 2023.

Those are incidents where# more than four people are shot or killed.

What effect could some of these gun laws# have on preventing gun violence of that sort?

ADAM WINKLER: Well, mass shootings are, of course,## one of the hardest pro But, nonetheless, some of the laws that# have been adopted are targeting these mass## shootings.

For instance, Washington state# has expanded gun background checks in an## effort to try to keep guns out of the hands# of people who will commit mass shootings.

A waiting period can also potentially help# prevent a mass shooting to the extent that it's## a crime of passion that one does without# much thought and consideration.

Still,## other states like Illinois have banned the weapons# that are most commonly used in high-profile mass## shootings, those military-style assault# rifles with high-capacity magazines.

GEOFF BENNETT: Many of the states that we# have mentioned are Democratic-led states.

What are Republican-led states doing in the# way of passing new gun safety ADAM WINKLER: In recent years, we have seen# red states make their gun laws more permissive## and more loose.

So, for instance, we have seen# several states adopt what they call permitless## concealed-carry regimes.

That is, you can carry a# concealed firearm even if you don't have a permit.

GEOFF BENNETT: Many of these new# gun restrictions are already being## challenged in the courts.

How# do you expect that to play out ADAM WINKLER: Well, it's very# difficult to know exactly how## all of these gun laws are going to fare in court.

One thing is clear.

The Supreme Court has in# pr otections and virtually any gun law is# likely to be challenged in court.

And many## of those challenges will be successful.

The# Supreme Court has said that, for gun laws to## be constitutionally permissible, they have to# resemble the gun laws of the 1700s and 1800s.

Given how different our gun laws# are today from the 1700s and 1800s,## many gun laws that are innovative and trying to## solve today's problems are likely to# run aground when GEOFF BENNETT: Are laws and policy# enough to address this country's## problem with gun violence?

What# more needs to be done, do you think?

ADAM WINKLER: Politicians are one thing, but# the truth is, we have over 400 million guns i America, and any new policy we adopt# runs headlong into that simple fact.

We are a heavily armed society.

And# as long as we are heavily armed,## there's going to be firearm fatalities, there's# likely going to be mass shootings, a going to be the easy availability of firearms# for those who wish to try to commit suicide.

So we can reduce gun violence, but we can't expect# to eliminate the gun violence problem in America.

GEOFF BENNETT: Adam Winkler, thanks so# much for your insights.

We appreciate it.

ADAM WINKLER: Thank you.