The Supreme Court gave no clear signal where it was headed on Proposition 8, but there was no mistaking Antonin Scalia’s beliefs about septuagenarian breeding (He’s pro.). Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says she doesn’t use email, which means we can say whatever we want about her here. And Chris Christie vowed to keep Prince Harry clothed when the British royal visits New Jersey, even though “Naked Prince” sounds like a brightly colored beverage we’ve consumed on the Shore. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Tuesday, March 26th, 2013:
GUN CONTROL: NO AGREEMENT ON BACKGROUND CHECKS – Sam Stein: “Negotiations over legislation that would extend background checks for gun buyers are still officially on. But aides on the Hill involved in those conversations said a breakthrough remains far off and discussions are unlikely to get serious for another week or so. ‘My guess is after Easter they will all start really talking because then that clock starts clicking,’ said a source close to negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity. The authors of the bill, set to head to the floor of the Senate after the Easter recess,were casting a wider net for potential Republican co-sponsors, according to a report this week. But one of those who reportedly being wooed — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — downplayed the report…That means center stage remains occupied by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)… Schumer and Coburn remain at odds over two central issues — how those checks are conducted, and whether records should be kept of firearms transactions. Coburn wants new gun sales to use online portals for conducting background checks. Schumer wants a federal firearms license holder to do the work. Coburn doesn’t support keeping sales records for private transactions. Schumer has said he sees that as potentially gutting the purpose of the law.” [HuffPost]
VOTE-A-RAMA BODES ILL FOR GUN CONTROL – Sure, it was nearly four in the morning, but the world’s greatest deliberative body wasn’t afraid to make decisions about firearms. Roll Call: “Senators voted 50-49 in favor of an amendment by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to establish a two-thirds requirement for the passage of any gun control legislation in their chamber. While the budget resolution is nonbinding and the amendment did not win the 60 votes needed to be adopted, the outcome underscores how many senators strongly support gun rights, just as the chamber prepares to debate the biggest package of gun control measures in nearly two decades. Six Democrats from gun-friendly states joined a nearly united Republican conference to support Lee’s amendment: Max Baucus of Montana, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.” [Roll Call]
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