Bipartisan governors group forms task force to help curb mass shootings

• A bipartisan group of governors will assemble to provide solutions to mass shootings.
• The announcement comes in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting that left 21 people dead.

The National Governors Association will form a bipartisan working group to propose solutions for mass shootings in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

In a letter to President Joe Biden, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said the organization will create a group of six to 10 governors that will find solutions so that state and local officials can have tools for safety in their communities.

"Schools should be among the safest places for our children and educators, and there should be no doubt that they will return home at the end of the day," the governors wrote.

The governors said the solutions could include proposals on gun control, but given the partisan divide on the issue, reaching a consensus might be difficult.

In the aftermath of the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats and Republicans disagreed on gun control measures.

An 18-year-old gunman legally purchased several firearms in the days leading up to the shooting that left 19 students and two adults killed. Democrats said the shooting was the latest example of the need for stricter gun laws, while some GOP lawmakers blamed school design and security for the shooting.

Last week, the House passed a wide-ranging bill on gun control, but the Senate is expected to block it.

It's unclear what measures the governor's group will propose as Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain divided on gun control, but in their letter, Hutchinson and Murphy said, gun control will be a part of the proposals.

"It is our hope that the task force can provide suggestions to keep our schools and communities safe in a manner that is consistent with the demands of the American people, who overwhelmingly support gun safety measures. We can all agree that there are commonsense ways to prevent these tragic events, and we must work together to do everything in our collective power to protect our communities and our most vulnerable citizens – our children," the letter said.