Interview with Dennis Willard, of Ohioans for Gun Safety.
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. One by one, a small number but a growing number of Republican lawmakers are demanding action on gun reform legislation. Sources tell CNN that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sent three committee chairmen to find a package of reforms that could get bipartisan support and be signed into law by the president. Those are two difficult things, remember that. Proposals could include limiting guns for people with severe mental health issues -- these are known as red flag laws -- as well as studying the impact of violent video games, red flag laws at the top of the list. A short time ago, the president said that he's at least open to the possibility of background checks. Of course, that's something the president has said before and not followed through on. I want to speak now to Dennis Willard. He's the spokesman for a citizens' group here in Ohio called Ohioans for Gun Safety.</s>DENNIS WILLARD, SPOKESMAN, OHIOANS FOR GUN SAFETY: Thanks, Jim.</s>SCIUTTO: You've been fighting this issue here for a long time.</s>WILLARD: For years.</s>SCIUTTO: So you know when hopes get raised and dashed. Tell me about this moment, particularly in Ohio. Is it a different moment? And do you see the potential for real action here, in the wake of these shootings?</s>WILLARD: I think Governor Mike DeWine's announcement yesterday, that he supports background checks, is a major step forward for us. But we have a very conservative pro-gun legislature, so we're going to have to go to the people, collect signatures.</s>SCIUTTO: Right.</s>WILLARD: If the legislature doesn't act, we'll go -- we have direct democracy here in Ohio. We'll go directly to the voters and we'll ask them --</s>SCIUTTO: To do a referendum, you mean?</s>WILLARD: -- and we'll do a referendum. That's what --</s>SCIUTTO: I see.</s>WILLARD: -- that's what our group, Ohioans for Gun Safety, is doing. We're collecting signatures. We'll collect 133,000 signatures this year. The legislature will have four months to act on our proposal. If they do nothing, we collect an additional 133,000 signatures --</s>SCIUTTO: And you go right --</s>WILLARD: -- and right to a vote. Yes.</s>SCIUTTO: -- towards (ph) the vote. I should note for our viewers, this is Air Force Once landing here in Dayton, Ohio right now, taxiing down the runway. This is, of course, the president visiting when he comes. If he gives comments, we will give you those comments live. Let me ask you, as the president arrives here, does that help or hurt the cause of gun safety?</s>WILLARD: I really think that the president has a bully pulpit. But unfortunately, he's been using it to bully the underdog, the working person. I think that it would be wonderful if he would use the bully pulpit for good. But as you mentioned earlier, Cory Booker said, "You reap what you sow." And he's been, you know, sowing hate. What we're going to do is be positive, go directly to the voters and get them to sign these petitions, and then force the legislature either to act, or the voters will enact this law themselves.</s>SCIUTTO: As you noted, big conservative majorities in both houses here, and they won't even hold hearings on some of these --</s>WILLARD: That's right.</s>SCIUTTO: -- things. That's of course, a backstop? Sounds a little bit like Mitch McConnell in the Senate. Dennis Willard, we appreciate your time. Tonight on CNN, Chris Cuomo will moderate a live "</s>CUOMO PRIME TIME TOWN HALL:  AMERICA UNDER ASSAULT: THE GUN CRISIS," airs tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, right here on CNN. As we noted, the president has just landed in Dayton, Ohio. Our special coverage from Dayton continues in just a moment.