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Guns and immigration come up at Rokita's "Congress on your Corner" event

Mike Loizzo
/
WBAA Radio

Lafayette area members of the group Moms Demand Action are pushing for a bill to expand the background check program for gun purchases.

Julia Chester says the measure would include purchases at gun shows and internet sales under the current system.

“It’s just a background check. It’s the same bill that was put forth by the Senate, but did not pass earlier this year. We’d like to know what the opposition is to this, because there really is no good reason.”

Chester and other members discussed the legislation with Congressman Todd Rokita (R-IN4), urging him to support it.

Rokita says he hasn’t seen the bill yet, so can’t say how he’d vote.

“And I told her I’d look into it. I did not make any commitment to support such a bill, because I’m not convinced that would have stopped Newtown (school shooting), nor am I sure it’s in accordance with the Second Amendment.”

Rokita held a Congress on your Corner event in Lafayette Monday afternoon. One subject that came up frequently was immigration reform.

Rokita says he’s not sure how he would vote on the bill the U.S. Senate approved. He doesn’t seem to think that measure is likely to make it through the House.

“There are some good things in there about entrepreneurial visas and reforming our H1B visas, and there are some things in there about allowing students who come here to study in America from other lands to stay here afterwards more easily. I think that’s important to a place like Purdue and West Lafayette.”

Rokita says the House will probably take a piece-meal approach and vote on separate items, instead of a comprehensive measure. He says addressing border security, and whether that’s done before other immigration items, is a main issue, as is the E-verify system.

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