HARLOW: “Let’s move on to some of the key issues. Obviously the tragic school shooting in Nashville just a week ago today. You led the NRA’s response to Sandy Hook and that massacre at that elementary school and assessing what could be done differently. So far this year, there have been more mass shootings than days in the year. Guns are the leading cause of death now for young and Americans and Arkansas has the fifth highest rate of firearm deaths in the country. I wonder if you agree with your Republican colleagues who have said in the past few weeks that Congress has essentially done all it’s going to do on guns?”

HUTCHINSON: “Well, I think they’re expressing it correctly, that we look at the challenge of firearms in the schools, and we need to have improved security, we need to continue to invest in that. And also the mental health counseling that’s important in our schools in identifying those that might be a threat. And so that’s the approach that I think is constitutional. And there being a political reality as well that there was a bipartisan bill that was passed, led by Senator Cornyn and — and that passed this last session. So I don’t expect any additional action that’s been taken. But let’s continue as we have in Arkansas. We’ve invested in school safety, we had our own Commission, we looked at how we can support our local schools in increasing the safety. It’s tragic what happened in Nashville. That was a private school. And I hope that the families will have all the compassion that is appropriate under the circumstances. Our heart goes out to them.”

HARLOW: “You talked about school security, I would just note there were armed guards at both Parkland and Uvalde, and still this happen. I wonder if you — if you become the Republican nominee and if you were to be elected president would you sign a national law raising the age to purchase an AR-15 to 21? Because you yourself floated the idea last year?”

HUTCHINSON: “I think that — I mean, if Congress came into the consensus on that, that’s something that can be looked at. And so I’m open to that. Yes. Whenever you look at the bipartisan bill that passed, they approached it in a different way, which was to enhance the background check information that can look at additional records to assure somebody that was violent as a Juvenile would have access as soon as they turned 18. So they approached it that way that should provide additional protections. Every time we have a school incident we should be looking at those facts as to how we can close the gap or we can improve the circumstances to protect our children better.”

[Oddly, the Constitution isn’t open to age restrictions on the exercise by adults of enumerated rights. -Maybe Hutchinson should consult it from time to time. — Ed]