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Portman Clarifies Position On Assault Weapons Ban

Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio now says he's not convinced an assault weapons ban would help curb gun violence.Nick Castele  of member station WCPN in Cleveland reports

  

As a Congressman in 1994, Rob Portman voted against the assault weapons ban. Shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting, he said he’d be open to CONSIDERING a ban.

PORTMAN: “What I’ve said is I’d be willing to listen to anything that I think would help. But a ban on a particular kind of weapon I think has proven to be ineffective.” (10s)

But Portman says he DOES agree with a NUMBER of President Obama’s proposals to stop the misuse of firearms. 

PORTMAN: “Everything from mental health and looking at school security, to some provisions on providing better data on background checks to tighten up existing laws, but also to make the background checks work better.” (13s)

Asked whether he would vote to confirm Todd Jones as the President’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Portman declined to say.  But he said ATF SHOULD have a director – it’s been without a permanent one since 2006. 

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.