Americans favor stronger background checks, split on arming teachers: Poll

By Sally Persons - The Washington Times - Friday, February 23, 2018

A CBS News poll out Friday shows Americans overwhelmingly favor stricter gun laws, but they are split on whether arming teachers is a way to address the violence in schools.

Sixty-five percent of Americans believe there should be more restrictions on gun laws — an 8-point increase from December — with the rise primarily among Republicans. In December, 29 percent of Republicans favored stricter gun laws compared to 43 percent in the most recent poll. Independents also increased their support for restrictions by 8 points going from 55 percent to 63 percent.

When it comes to arming school officials, 44 percent favor the idea while 50 percent oppose it, falling primarily along partisan lines. Independents, however, also show slightly more favorability toward arming teachers or administrators in schools by 47 percent compared to 46 percent who oppose it.

A vast majority say mental illness is a chief problem related to gun policy measures, with 87 percent favoring more money toward mental health screenings. Another 75 percent favor stronger background checks, while 56 percent want a ban on “bump stocks” — the mechanism that turns a semi-automatic into an automatic weapon.

The National Rifle Association has taken the brunt of the criticism for the tragedy last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, with 46 percent saying they have too much influence in politics today.

Shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz, 19, killed 17 people and wounded 15 others. He was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and is being held without bond.

President Trump only receives a 33 percent approval rating for how he’s handled the aftermath of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.

The poll was conducted via telephone from Feb. 20-22 in wake of the Florida tragedy. The survey was also conducted amid public discussions at the White House about what the solution to mass school shootings should be, including arming teachers. The 1,012 adults were contacted in both English and Spanish on cell and landline phones with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.