U.S. states move to restrict weapons

WASHINGTON, April 15 (UPI) -- Lawmakers in most U.S. states are pushing legislation to restrict gun access, a considerable change in general attitudes on the issue, records show.

Gun advocates had dominated most legislative activity on the subject in the past decade, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Now, 38 states are considering new laws to keep guns out of the hands of convicted criminals and the mentally ill. Other measures make guns and ammunition easier to trace, the newspaper reported.

The gun-control measures are aimed at improving law enforcement aspects of the issue amid an increase in violent crimes, including the Virginia Tech shooting where a student with a history of mental problems killed 32 people a year ago.

As the states propose tougher laws, the U.S. Supreme Court is looking at the constitutionality of a outright ban on certain types of weapons in the District of Columbia.

Gun advocacy groups, such as the National Rifle Association, still are a powerful influence and continue to push their own legislation.