Qualls, Cincinnati City Council ask feds for tougher gun laws

CINCINNATI - Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls and Cincinnati City Council are urging President Obama and Congress to take legislative action to curb gun violence in the wake of the shooting at a Connecticut school last week.

Qualls and a council majority are expected to pass a resolution at Wednesday’s meeting to outline specific steps that should be taken in Washington.

The resolution will instruct Cincinnati’s federal lobbyist to make the issue a top priority.

Qualls and the resolution’s supporters will hold a press conference at City Hall on Wednesday, before council’s meeting, to discuss the resolution.

The actions mentioned in the resolution are based on specific items recommended by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

The actions include restoring the ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which were previously banned under the federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.

Also, the resolution calls for passage of pending federal legislation that would require a criminal background check for all gun sales, including private and online sales.

Additionally, it seeks passage of legislation to make gun trafficking a felony; and asks the Justice Department to prosecute people who fail gun background checks after lying on the application form.