Much of the debate about the president’s new gun regulations centers on criminal background checks. The president wants to expand background checks to just about anyone selling a gun.

While the administration is doing this, it needs to fix some problems with the current system. Dr. John Lott was on my radio program to talk about some simple and reasonable changes that must be made to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. He believes that these proposals would easily pass Congress.

First, we shouldn’t charge gun buyers for background checks. Most buyers and sellers don’t realize they are paying for this since they are included in the cost of the gun. If it is really true that background checks reduce crime, and everyone benefits, then why not pay for background checks out of general revenue?

The cost of background checks on private transfers adds at least $80 to the cost of transferring a gun in New York. The cost is $125 in the District of Columbia. These fees can put guns out of the reach of people who are the most likely victims of violent crimes: poor people living in high-crime, urban areas.

Second, we should fix the system that falsely flags law-abiding citizens. Virtually everyone who fails a check is legally eligible to buy a gun. You wouldn’t know this by listening to some of the presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton in the last Democratic presidential debate proclaimed that the Brady Act prohibited more than 2 million people from purchasing a gun. These were merely “initial denials.” Almost all turned out to be mistakes.

John Lott says there is a racial component to this. Various ethnic groups (Asians, Hispanics, Blacks) often have similar names. A law-abiding citizen is often flagged because he or she has a similar name to someone with a criminal record.

These are just a few of his proposals to improve a broken system that needs fixing. Congress and the president need to act.