VOICE OF AMERICA

It would seem unlikely that a Republican mayor of one of the safest cities in Michigan would be leading a push for national gun control measures. Then again, Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett – who was recently elected as the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors – has broken the mold before. The national mayors group, which represents cities with populations of at least 30,000, is pushing President Trump and the Senate to take up legislation that would require additional background checks on some gun sales, as well as longer wait times for the transfer of firearms. Barnett, who is running as an unopposed write-in candidate for his fourth term as mayor in the thriving 75,000-person, Republican-leaning community, said he believes 90-percent of voters support background checks, telling the Detroit Free Press recently that the National Rifle Association (NRA) is out of step on the issue. Barnett also has talked about the issue on the national stage with National Public Radio and MSNBC, and is lobbying Congress on the issue. "With 260 mass shootings in 2019 alone, the status quo just doesn't seem acceptable," he said on social media on August 29. "I hope the Senate moves on the two bills related to background checks next month. I'll be there to add my voice."