As Senate Pushes Background Checks, Another Poll Shows Wide Public Support

David Petronis of Mechanicville, NY, who owns a gun store, left, shows a handgun at his table during the annual New York State Arms Collectors Association Albany Gun Show at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, ... David Petronis of Mechanicville, NY, who owns a gun store, left, shows a handgun at his table during the annual New York State Arms Collectors Association Albany Gun Show at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in Albany, N.Y. MORE LESS
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A day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced his plan to move on gun legislation that “must include” background checks, yet another poll indicated that he has the overwhelming support of the public on that front.

The latest poll from Quinnipiac University released Friday showed that 88 percent of voters nationwide support universal background checks while a paltry 10 percent is opposed. Eighty-five percent of gun voters are also in favor, according to the poll.

Those findings are hardly a recent development. Following the December massacre in Newtown, Conn., polling has routinely shown universal background checks to be unquestionably the most popular gun control proposal.

On Thursday, Reid made it clear that any gun bill that moves out of the Senate must include a provision pertaining to background checks.

“I hope negotiations will continue over the upcoming break to reach a bipartisan compromise on background checks, and I am hopeful that they will succeed,” Reid said. “If a compromise is reached, I am open to including it in the base bill. But I want to be clear: in order to be effective, any bill that passes the Senate must include background checks.”

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