The veto message released by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval will be embedded below the post.
Sandoval's veto message specifies certain components of the bill as "worthy," then cites the provisions "pertaining to background checks for the private sale and transfer of firearms," calling them "an erosion of Nevadans' Second Amendment rights under the United States Constitution and may subject otherwise law-abiding citizens to criminal prosecution."
Sandoval concludes in his message "Senate Bill 221, while laudable in it's efforts to strengthen reporting requirements concerning mentally ill persons, imposes unreasonable burdens and harsh penalties upon law-abiding Nevadans, while doing little to prevent criminals from unlawfully obtaining firearms."
The Nevada Senate made the very same mistake that the Democratically controlled U.S. Senate made with their anti-Second Amendment gun control bill,.
They overreached.
Instead of common sense provisions on the mentally ill, reporting requirements for mental health professionals on people they believe have the intent and ability to carry out a threat of imminent, serious physical harm or death to a person, they pushed further, against the advice of the law enforcement experts, including the Nevada's Sheriffs' and Chiefs' Association, who requested Governor Sandoval veto the Nevada Senate bill.
The Nevada's Sheriffs' and Chiefs' Association wrote:
"The Sections of SB 221 requiring mandatory background checks on private sales places an unreasonable burden on law abiding citizens, with the potential to make them criminals. It would also be unenforceable by law enforcement. It is our opinion this bill would do little to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals."
The Nevada Senate would need a two-thirds majority to overcome Governor Sandoval's veto, which is unlikely since it only barely passed the NV Senate with an 11-10 vote, far short of the two-thirds that would be needed.
Sandoval's veto message embedded below:
