“highly controversial provisions” = Things the author doesn’t agree with.
The author is experiencing a helmet fire. It’s the same old, “blood in the streets. Every fender-bender becomes a bloody massacre. People shooting each other over parking spots.” The fact that dozens of states have enacted more lenient CCW laws and it’s never happened doesn’t stop them from venting their “feelings”.
Reminds me of environmental articles with the usual buzzwords and phrases:
“removal of protections”
“expose to slaughter”
“destruction of habitat”
“allow unchecked hunting”
etc. etc.