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Three Nevada residents are suing their own state in an attempt to force it to implement a new law that requires federal background checks on private gun sales. Dale Zusi, Vicki Delatorre, and Sydney Gordon are members of the group Nevadans For Background Checks, a gun control group that was successful in passing a law in 2016 that requires federal background checks on private gun sales — a law that has not been enforced.
The law has had a turbulent history. It technically went into effect on January 1, 2017, following an extremely close referendum on the issue in November 2016. Even before the referendum, it was pointed out that the law was unenforceable in its current form.
The problem is essentially a conflict between state and federal law. Nevadans For Background Checks wanted to keep background checks free, partially to deny their opponents a line of argument. This meant that the checks had to be carried out through the FBI's criminal background check system. Since background checks on private gun sales are not mandated by federal law, the governor of Nevada cannot force the FBI to carry them out.
Continue Reading: Residents Try to Force Nevada to Carry Out Background Checks on Private Gun Sales