Category: RKBA

Just because politicians have an “R” after their name doesn’t mean they’re automatically less tyrant minded than their demoncrap counterparts.

Senator Marco Rubio admits he’s a Second Amendment ‘butter’
The senior Senator from Florida tells a reader he supports the Second Amendment, but

At 5-feet 10-inches, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is the same height as Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), but that’s not all the two have in common.

Neither Rubio nor Feinstein support the Second Amendment.

While Feinstein is open an upfront about her anti-rights passion, Rubio is riding the fence. Several bills he’s introduced clearly infringe upon the Second Amendment, but he still tries to hide his anti-rights zealotry in communications with constituents.

A reader recently reached out to Rubio after reading this story: Sen. Rubio’s red-flag bill would allow ‘temporary’ firearm confiscation and delay due process.

“I emailed him a while ago about his Red-flag bill he sponsored after you taught me about it and telling him it violated several amendments and to my dismay this was the response I received,” she said in an email. I am not publishing her name.

She noted that Rubio’s reply was “vague” and that he was “not specifically addressing the issues about his bill’s violation of due process and our other amendments as opposed to him saying that our communities lack the law enforcement resources.”

Politicians have form letters for irate constituents. I have no doubt our reader received one of Rubio’s letters designed to appease an angry Second Amendment supporter. I’m guessing his staff sends out a lot of them, especially since he introduced the federal red-flag bill.

“I hold the fundamental belief that the Second Amendment should not be altered,” Rubio’s email states. “While I have always supported the right of law-abiding Americans to bear arms to protect themselves and their families, I am committed to working with my colleagues in the Senate to create a more effective system to prevent senseless gun violence, without unnecessarily infringing on the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment.”

Two things leap out of that statement. First, “senseless gun violence” is a Bloomberg talking point, which is used by Demanding Moms, Everytown and the Trace.

Second, Rubio hopes to create a more effective system “without unnecessarily infringing on the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment.”

I guess that means the Senator is willing to infringe upon our Second Amendment rights, but only when he believes it’s necessary.

Bunkum, that is.

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Now is the Time to Make the Case: Remove SBRs from the NFA

As the Biden administration gears up to pass fresh guidance on pistol stabilizing braces, I humbly suggest that this is precisely the time to get working on legislation to remove SBRs — short barreled rifles — from the purview of the 1934 National Firearms Act.

Arguments and assertions from the DOJ / ATF / Biden administration related to pistol braces only strengthen the case that SBRs shouldn’t be subject to special scrutiny as compared to rifles with 16-inch or longer barrels.

In my comprehensive “How Does ATF’s Vague Pistol Brace Guidance Contradict Itself?” article, I went section-by-section through the draft guidance document (which, to be sure, is going to be the model for whatever comes out of the Biden White House if it isn’t simply used verbatim) and played angel’s advocate, arguing why each and every section was and is wrong, vague, inconsistent, misleading, anti-factual, self-contradictory, and/or just plain dishonest.

The Biden administration is in the final stages of drafting a regulation on firearm accessories that can be used to make pistols more like rifles . . .

. . . The firearm accessory can make pistols more accurate and deadlier. It effectively transforms a pistol into a short-barreled rifle . . .

Does your head also spin when you see the exact same people who have always banned or attempted to ban “assault weapon” features on the basis that they allow for “spraying fire” and “firing from the hip,” and have banned “Saturday Night Specials” in part due to their inherent inaccuracy now railing against pistol stabilizing braces for having exactly the opposite effect?

I’m sorry, but can y’all please decide if accuracy is a good thing or a bad thing? I’ll give you a hint: it’s good.

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A ‘study’ using interviews of sixteen seasoned citizens and thirteen medicos and the researchers use it as a venue to merely regurgitate their previous anti-gun views.

And just to point out:
Read These Taxpayer Funded Antigun Research Projects
The Centers for Disease Control recently announced the projects funded by more than $7.8 million dollars to “Prevent Firearm-Related Violence and Injuries.”
Let’s take a look at some of the projects receiving CDC funding:
Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar of the University of Washington will receive $1.5 million over three years for a project that “will identify the context, antecedents, and consequences of handgun carrying among adolescents who reside in rural communities in order to inform culturally appropriate and community-specific interventions.” “This project is intended to inform the development, adoption, and refinement of non-punitive prevention approaches to address factors that influence handgun carrying and reduce the burden of firearm-related injury among youth in rural communities.”

This project would seemingly build on Rowhani-Rahbar’s previous work on the topic through an NIH grant, and he has published dozens of articles and studies on firearms and firearms-related policies. He is the Co-Director of the Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program at Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center at the University of Washington.

Gun for young people are baaaaaad.
Guns for old people are baaaaaaad.
Guns are baaaaaaad!

Should There Be ‘Gun Retirement’ for the Elderly?

MONDAY, May 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Just as some elderly drivers need to give up their car keys, older gun owners may eventually face “firearm retirement.” And a preliminary study suggests they are open to the idea.

In focus-group interviews with older gun owners, researchers found that many had considered putting limits on their firearm access — though they usually hadn’t yet laid out plans for when and how.

It’s an important issue, given that 40% of older Americans live in a home with a gun, said lead researcher Laura Prater of Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The concern, she said, is that a significant number of those seniors have or will develop dementia or major depression. If they have easy access to a firearm, they could harm themselves, accidentally or intentionally.

No one wants to wrest firearms from the hands of older adults who can use them safely, Prater said.

The point, she stressed, is that gun owners, family members and health care providers should talk about the future — including what should happen with household firearms once a person’s health makes access a hazard.

“We should be treating this like a normal conversation,” Prater said, “just like you plan for other things, like driving, retirement or finances.”

A big takeaway from the interviews was that gun owners accepted the concept of firearm “retirement.”

“Older adults want to be responsible gun owners,” Prater said.

“What they weren’t open to,” she added, “was someone else making the decision for them.”

That means planning is key — before, say, early-stage dementia advances. One place to start, Prater said, is with a “firearm inventory,” where the older adult and family members account for all firearms in the home.

Many owners, Prater noted, have multiple firearms, and family members or other caregivers are not always aware of them.

Some older adults might want a “transition period,” she said, starting with disposing of firearms that are not being used. (Local laws vary on how to do that, Prater noted.)

The current findings are based on interviews with 16 older gun owners, as well as 13 geriatrics specialists.

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Governor’s OK means South Carolina now allows open carry of guns

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Gov. Henry McMaster said Monday he signed into law a bill allowing people with concealed weapons permits from the state to carry their guns in the open.

McMaster posted on Twitter that he was keeping his promise to sign any bill that protects or expands gun rights.

The proposal allows so-called open carry of guns for people who undergo training and background checks so they can keep guns hidden under a jacket or other clothing or in their vehicle anywhere there isn’t a sign prohibiting it.

The law takes effect in 90 days. Thus, in mid-August, South Carolina will no longer be with California, Florida, Illinois and New York to prohibit any type of open carry.

The law eliminates a $50 permit fee to get a concealed weapons permit and lowers the number of bullets that someone must fire at a target in an accuracy test to get a permit from 50 to 25 shots. Requirements remain that a permit holder be 21 or over, take eight hours of training and pass a background check that includes fingerprinting.

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Oklahoma: Multiple Pro-Gun Bills Signed or a Step Away from Signature

U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Numerous pro-gun measures have advanced through the Oklahoma Legislature and been signed into law.  Two others are also pending procedural votes before being sent to the desk of Governor Kevin Stitt, and your Senate needs to hear from you.  Those bills are all outlined below:

Pro-gun bills pending either concurrence or conference committee vote:

  • Senate Bill 644, sponsored by Sen. Paxton, authorizes municipal employees to carry a firearm at work.
  • Senate Bill 925, sponsored by Sen. Michael Bergstrom, cleans up current law to allow for the defensive display of a firearm against a potential threat.

Pro-gun bills that have been signed into law:

  • House Bill 1630 /Senate Bill 106, sponsored by Sen. Mark Allen, and Rep. David Hardin, allows for the use of an SDA license in place of a background check when purchasing a firearm.
  • Senate Bill 646, sponsored by Sen. Michael Bergstrom, will allow for an individual to carry a firearm in the designated bar area of a restaurant as long as that person is not consuming alcohol.
  • Senate Bill 672, sponsored by Sen. Casey Murdock, cleans upstate law to allow for the transportation of a long gun in a motor vehicle.
  • House Bill 2645, sponsored by Rep. Jon Echols, prevents cities from prohibiting carry in outdoor venues without providing a certain amount of security.

Thank you to those legislators who supported these pro-gun measures, and to Governor Stitt for signing them into law. 

Report: John Cornyn Seeking ‘Compromise Language’ for Democrat Gun Control

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is still seeking “compromise language” for Democrat gun control, the Washington Post reported.

On April 20, 2021, Breitbart News pointed to Politico’s claim that Cornyn was talking gun control behind the scenes with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT).

Cornyn was having “quiet conversations” with Murphy for the purposes of “[finding] common ground,” Politico indicated.

On May 16, 2021, the Post observed that Cornyn’s talks with Murphy are ongoing, saying, “Some Republicans, including Cornyn, have said they generally favor background checks and have been actively talking with Murphy about compromise language that would not go as far as the House versions but could close some loopholes.”

Cornyn admitted the talks were taking place, but suggested no middle ground has yet to be found. “There’s nothing right now to say other than we are still talking,” he said.

Murphy is currently pushing universal background check legislation in the Senate.

Colorado has universal background checks, but they did not prevent the March 22, 2021, Boulder, Colorado, attack.

New York has universal background checks as well, but they did not prevent 11 people from being shot in New York City during an 8-hour window of time on Saturday.

California adopted universal background checks in the early 1990s, but they did not prevent the April 2, 2012, Oikos University Attack/Oakland, California (7 killed); the May 23, 2014, Santa Barbara attack (6 killed); the December 2, 2015, San Bernardino attack (14 killed); the June 14, 2017, San Francisco UPS shooting (3 killed); and the November 7, 2018, Thousand Oaks attack (12 killed), among other attacks.

Concealed Carry Revolution: Expanding The Right to Bear Arms in America

The liberalization of concealed carry laws over the past several decades represents a dramatic expansion of the right to bear arms in the United States. Concealed Carry Revolution offers the first comprehensive but concise history of the development of these laws, from the restricted era of gun carry in the 19th century, through discretionary permitting systems in the 20th century, to today’s shall issue and permitless carry regimes. It also explores variation in the implementation of shall issue concealed carry laws from state to state, especially in terms of training requirements. Accessibly written, this book will appeal to experts and interested others alike.

‘Pretextual stops’ were deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court. Almost anywhere else, the stops are usually used as a pretext to search for drugs since the gun laws in most states are nowhere as strict as in NY City.

Up in smoke: New weed law leads to drop in gun busts, NYPD sources say

New York’s recent decision to legalize weed has led to an alarming drop in gun arrests — at the same time shootings are surging across the Big Apple, The Post has learned.

Under NYPD enforcement guidelines outlined in a March 31 memo that cited the new pot law ban, cops are banned from searching a vehicle’s trunk just because they smell pot during a traffic stop.

The “sweeping changes” — which took effect immediately — also prohibit cops from searching anyone just for toking up “almost anywhere that cigarette smoking is allowed.”

But large numbers of gun busts have typically been made by cops who smell fresh or burnt marijuana after pulling over a car, according to NYPD sources.

Last year, 33 percent of all gun-possession arrests resulted from vehicle stops, with a majority of those also involving weed, a source familiar with the matter said.

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Just me, but a lot of what I see in politics is making people believe you’re doing something, when you really aren’t, because you actually don’t like the proposed legislation.

Texas Constitutional Carry to go to Conference Committee, Future in Doubt

On Wednesday, 12 May 2021, HB1927 came back from the Texas Senate to the House. The House had passed the bill with a good margin. Governor Abbot said he would sign the bill. The Senate just barely passed the bill, but included eight amendments.

The question was: Would the House accept the amendments, and send the bill to the Governor’s desk for signature, or would the House send the bill to a conference committee. The conference committee could work out a compromise with the House. If they did, then the bill would have to go back to the Senate and the House for approval.

The Democrats in the House raised a point of order, claiming the amendment to HB 1927, which requires the state to create an online training course about gun carry and the law, fell outside the single issue rule and was therefore illegal.

Legislation in Texas is supposed to address a single issue only. What is a single issue, is subject to interpretation. Several of the other seven amendments added in the Senate could as easily fail under the single issue rule.

This correspondent is not in the Texas legislature. Representative Schaffer is. He is the House sponsor of the bill. Representative Schaffer came to the podium, asked the House to reject the Senate amendments and send the HB 1927 to a conference committee.

It had been worked out behind the scenes. The House asked for a conference committee.

To this correspondent, it appeared the House was betting 90% of Constitutional Carry against a chance of gaining a few more percent toward a 100% bill.

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Sen. Eric Burlison’s Second Amendment Preservation Act Passes Legislature

JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, is proud to announce that House Bills 85 and 310, the Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA), has passed both chambers of the Missouri legislature.

The Second Amendment Preservation Act declares all federal laws, rules, orders or other actions which restrict or prohibit the manufacture, ownership and use of firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition exclusively in Missouri will not be enforced by state law enforcement, state municipal officials and other state officials.

“This is an issue that could not wait any longer. I am increasingly concerned about the president and his administration attempting to restrict our right to keep and bear arms,” Sen. Burlison said. “Ultimately, I believe the purpose of the Second Amendment is to provide the citizens of our country with the ability to defend ourselves, and, if it comes to it, to push back against a tyrannical government. I am thrilled so many of my colleagues stood with me and worked to protect the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Missourians.”

Senator Burlison filed the Senate version in the Missouri Senate this year and led the debate on SAPA in the Senate on Thursday, May 13.

“I have been advocating for SAPA for years now,” Sen. Burlison said. “Finally getting this crucial legislation across the finish line and sent to the governor’s desk is an incredible feeling, and I am thankful for my colleagues and their hard work to protect Missourians from overreaching federal gun laws. I am optimistic that the governor will sign this legislation into law.”

On Monday, May 17th, Senator Burlison, along with other lawmakers who championed SAPA, will hold a press conference at The Sounds of Freedom USA in Ozark, MO at 12:00 p.m. The public is invited.

FINAL DAY Missouri SAPA Passed Senate, Back to House

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo–With less than 24 hours left in the Missouri legislative session, Senate lawmakers gave final passage to a controversial bill that would nullify federal gun laws in the state.

House Bill 85, known as the Second Amendment Preservation Act, would protect Missourians from federal gun laws and would hold police departments liable for up to $50,000 if an officer violates a person’s Second Amendment Rights.

A change by the Senate mandates the House vote to re-approve it.
The best I can tell, this is it:

Section B. Because immediate action is necessary to ensure the limitation of the federal government’s power and to protect the citizens’ right to bear arms, section A of this act is deemed necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, welfare, peace, and safety, and is hereby declared to be an emergency act within the meaning of the constitution, and section A of this act shall be in full force and effect upon its passage and approval.

Texas Hits Snag On Constitutional Carry

In Texas, it really seemed like a done deal. Constitutional carry was going to pass. Enough lawmakers wanted it that there was no chance of it not passing the legislature. The governor is likely to sign such a bill, too.

However, passing legislation is tricky. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, either, because it helps stop all kinds of horrible laws from making it onto the books. The downside is that it can create hurdles that good legislation has to deal with as well.

It seems constitutional carry hit just such a hurdle.

The Texas House on Wednesday rejected changes the Senate made to a Republican-backed proposal to allow Texans to carry handguns without a license, sending the bill behind closed doors for further negotiations.

Before the permitless carry bill can head to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said he would sign it into law, a conference committee made up of representatives and senators will have to reach a compromise that must get approval from both chambers.

House Bill 1927 would nix the requirement for Texas residents to obtain a license to carry handguns if they’re not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a gun.

Among other changes, state senators last week approved an amendment barring permitless carry from people convicted in the past five years of making a terroristic threat, deadly conduct, assault that causes bodily injury or disorderly conduct with a firearm. The chamber also approved an amendment that enhances criminal penalties for illegal weapons carried by felons and those convicted of family violence offenses.

Bill author state Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, drew cheers Wednesday when he announced he was rejecting the Senate changes. House Speaker Dade Phelan said the House conferees for the committee that will negotiate the bill are Republican Reps. Schaefer, James White and Dustin Burrows and Democratic Reps. Terry Canales and Ryan Guillen – two of the seven Democrats who voted for the bill.

Now, this isn’t good news, but it’s not awful news.

The bad news is compounded by there only being a short time remaining for the legislature to remain in session, which means any compromise has to be reached quickly.

The good news is that these lawmakers seems to want constitutional carry in the state, which means they’re starting from a decent enough place. My hope is that they’ll pass a law based on just the parts they agree with and then debate the other stuff next year. Get the law on the books, then modify it as needed.

If they don’t do that, they may well miss this golden opportunity for passing an important law.

I doubt the voters in Texas will be appreciative of such behavior, to say the least, nor should they be. They know what the people want, they just need to put aside the bickering and get it done.

Pass constitutional carry and do it now. Worry about the other stuff in later bills and let the people exercise their Second Amendment rights the way God and the Constitution intended.

GUN HISTORIAN ASHLEY HLEBINSKY DROPS TRUTH BOMBS IN ‘GHOST GUN’ HEARING

Senate Sub Committee Hearing video on C-SPAN

If U.S. senators were hoping to give a lift to the Department of Justice’s proposed rule to redefine a firearm, they underestimated Ashley Hlebinsky.

She’s a historical powerhouse when it comes to guns. Hlebinsky testified before the Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on The Constitution, in a hearing titled: Stop Gun Violence: Ghost Guns. Hlebinsky started by shredding any pretenses of false authority by those using loaded terms and ended her opening statement reminding senators whom they represent.

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‘Could be’? I’d say it’s getting hammered right now.

Constitutional Carry: How Joe Biden’s War On Guns Could Be Crushed

Earlier this month legislation passed the Texas State Senate, which could allow residents to carry a handgun without a permit. Known as “unrestricted,” “permitless carry” or “Constitutional Carry,” it reflects the view that the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution does not abide by restrictions on gun rights, including the right to carry or otherwise bear arms.

The Republican-led effort has already passed the Texas House.

“This bill should be called common-sense carry,” said Texas State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-District 6) when he introduced House Bill 1927 in the Lone Star State last month. The bill would remove the requirement for Texas residents to obtain a license to carry handguns, provided they’re not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm. Under current law, residents of Texas must generally be licensed to carry handguns, either openly or concealed.

History of Constitutional Carry

As Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has already said he would sign the bill into law, Texas will likely become the fourth state to enable the carry laws this year, as Utah’s new law just came into effect in early May, while Montana’s will go into effect on June 1, followed by Iowa and Tennessee on July 1. Three other states – Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Kentucky – did away with all carry permit requirements in 2019.

Currently, twenty other states have some form of Constitutional Carry laws, and each state has set its own age limits and some restrictions. In some cases it is also only open to residents, and in others is only for concealed carry of handguns.

Originally the concept of being able to carry a handgun with a permit was known as “Vermont carry,” as the state never restricted the carry of firearms by any adult. It was ruled by the Vermont State Supreme Court that the state’s constitution didn’t allow for any restrictions to be placed on residents, including a licensing scheme. As a result, Vermont has been described as being a Constitutional Carry state since even before the United States existed.

Wyoming became the first state to enact or re-introduce similar laws.

Is it Safe?

A common concern by opponents of such laws is whether it is unsafe, as it might encourage untrained or otherwise unqualified individuals to carry a handgun. However, supporters of Constitutional Carry note that concealed carry laws have never stopped criminals from simply illegally carrying a firearm while the permit process could keep law-abiding citizens from being able to carry a weapon for self-defense.

Supporters of permitless carry maintain that many individuals in Constitutional Carry states are still undergoing training with certified instructors. Likewise, a common complaint is the high costs of permits, which greatly impact those in the lower-income brackets – not to mention the additional time to take the classes to receive a permit.

No state allows those under eighteen years of age to carry a firearm, while half require that the individual be at least twenty-one years old.

Idaho Gov. Signs Bill Barring Enforcement of Biden’s Executive Gun Control

Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed legislation Monday to prohibit enforcement of the executive actions for gun control put forth by President Joe Biden.

One outworking of those executive actions has been the Department of Justice’s attempt to reclassify certain gun parts kits as “firearms.”

The executive actions are also expected to lead to DOJ action against AR-pistols with stabilizer braces.

But KTVB reports that the bill signed by Gov. Little “[prohibits] Idaho government entities from upholding Biden’s March executive actions.”

The Associated Press notes the bill passed the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities and “carried an emergency notice, meaning it went into effect with Little’s signature.”

The new law is retroactive to January 20, 2021. It is designed to prevent “Idaho government entities from enforcing executive orders, federal laws, treaties, agency orders and rules of the U.S. government involving firearms, firearm components, firearm accessories or ammunition that conflict with the Idaho Constitution.”

Arizona Governor Signs Law Designating Gun Stores As Essential Firms

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has signed into law legislation that designates gun stores as essential businesses allowed to remain open during an emergency—a move that will further protect gun stores, manufacturers, and trade associations from lawsuits.

The new law, Senate Bill 1382, introduced by Republican Sen. Wendy Rogers, applies to any store selling guns or ammunition, or their components, and mirrors federal law that was passed on a bipartisan basis.

Ducey’s office said in a release that the measure will protect the Second Amendment rights of Arizonans by “safeguarding against frivolous lawsuits that have no connection to unlawful use of firearms.”

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Colorado Democrats shelve effort to impose a gun-purchase waiting period this year

Democratic state lawmakers have shelved efforts to pass a bill imposing a gun-purchase waiting period this year, as they had planned before the 2021 lawmaking term began.

State Rep. Steve Woodrow, a Denver Democrat, was slated to be the prime sponsor of the measure. He said the massacre at a Boulder King Soopers reshaped lawmakers’ gun-control plans this year and they decided to focus on other policies.

“After the shooting we worked diligently to craft a package of bills that will have the most impact and that’s the package we’re moving forward with this session,” he said in a written statement.

State Rep. Tom Sullivan, a Centennial Democrat whose son was murdered in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting, said the waiting-period bill could be introduced at the Capitol next year.

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Media Continues Meltdown Over Gun Sale Surge

There has been a gun sales surge ever since the early days of the pandemic. From the moment we knew it was coming to our shores, people started buying guns. The buying hasn’t stopped either.

This has been good news for the firearm industry.

However, anti-gunners have been freaking out about this for some time now. That freak out isn’t slowing down, apparently, with news outlets proclaiming that “gun sales and a mental health crisis… are seen as risk factors in school shootings.”

Students in many US states are just returning to classrooms after months of remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic – but the move back has come with an unfortunate uptick in gun violence.

From the first hours of Thursday, it felt like Groundhog Day –– at 7:00 am (1200 GMT) an Army trainee carrying a rifle hijacked a bus full of elementary school students near Fort Jackson, South Carolina for reasons unknown, before letting them go unharmed.

Arrested a short time later, the 23-year-old man was charged with 19 counts of kidnapping, carjacking and other crimes.

“Probably one of the scariest calls that we can get in law enforcement … is that a school bus has been hijacked with kids on it with someone with a gun. And that’s what we had this morning,” local sheriff Leon Lott told the ABC station.

Then, on the other side of the country in Idaho, at about 9:00 am (1500 GMT) a girl in sixth grade – meaning she is about 11 or 12 – took a gun out of her backpack and started shooting. Two students and a staff member were injured.

A teacher disarmed the girl and she was taken into custody. Her motive remains unknown.

…

The incidents are reported by local media, but they do not make national headlines.

Only a deadly shooting spree, like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida in February 2018 (17 dead), sparks a shockwave.

“No other high income country experiences or tolerates constant school shootings,” tweeted Shannon Watts, the founder of the Moms Demand Action movement against gun violence.

Except at least one of those incidents involved the theft of a military rifle. The others mentioned were from firearms likely stolen from their parents.

The author tries to make a point that the mental health issues stemming from COVID-19 and the gun sales surge create a dangerous environment. However, they fail to show their work.

See, while gun sales are increasing, they failed to show that any of these incidents were newly purchased firearms. The gun sale surge exists, but were any of these firearms purchased as part of that surge?

Further, even if they were, the sale of these guns isn’t the issue and never has been because they were purchased lawfully by someone who still hasn’t broken the law. They’re the victims, really, because their guns were taken and then misused.

People are constantly going on and on about how we have too many guns, but then they say they don’t want to take our guns. They fail to address guns in criminal hands but instead focus on those firearms being sold lawfully.

With this story, desperate to try and link increased gun sales to school violence, it’s almost sad. You’d think that people would understand that correlation doesn’t equal causation, yet they don’t. Then again, they still think gun control works.

Missouri Bill to Take on Federal Gun Control: Past, Present and Future Clears Senate Committee Hurdle

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (May 6, 2021) – After appearing to be stalled, a Missouri bill that would take on federal gun control; past, present and future quickly passed out of a second Senate committee today and can now move to the Senate floor. Passage into law would represent a major step toward ending federal acts that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms within the state.

Rep. Jered Taylor filed House Bill 85 (HB85) on Dec 1. Titled the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” the legislation would ban any entity or person, including any public officer or employee of the state and its political subdivisions, from enforcing any past, present or future federal “acts, laws, executive orders, administrative orders, court orders, rules, regulations, statutes, or ordinances” that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms.

HB85 passed the House in February by a 103-43 vote. On the Senate side, it passed the General Laws Committee on April 26 and was then referred to the governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee. Sen. Lincoln Hough chairs that committee, and he was reportedly the senator most responsible for stalling SAPA in 2020. There was concern that he would roadblock the bill with time running out in the session. But with a strong response to action alerts by Missouri First and the TAC, HB85 was brought before the committee and passed on Thursday.

The full Senate held a hearing on a Senate companion bill (SB39) last week. But with less than two weeks left in the legislative session, the best chance to get SAPA to the governor is for the Senate to pass the House version.

DETAILS OF THE LEGISLATION

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Local [Texas] law enforcement preparing for impact of permitless carry

Hunt County’s law enforcement officials say they are ready to deal with the ramifications of the constitutional carry bill, which was nearing final approval in the Texas Legislature Friday morning.

But proponents of the measure say it still needs to cross the final hurdles.

“I applaud the Senate for finally passing the House’s Constitutional Carry bill yesterday, a bill that will further secure our second amendment rights,” said State Representative for District 2 Bryan Slaton. “But there is still plenty of work to be done to make sure this bill becomes law.”

Under current state law, Texans must generally be licensed to carry handguns openly or concealed. Applicants must submit fingerprints, complete four to six hours of training and pass a written exam and a shooting proficiency test. Texas does not require a license to openly carry a rifle in public.

“HB 1927 allows law-abiding citizens aged 21 who can legally own a firearm to carry it in a holster in public places without a state-issued license,” said State Senator Bob Hall, after the House bill passed the Senate Wednesday.

The bill was still being worked on in a committee Friday morning to hammer out the differences remaining in the House and Senate versions, before it is sent to Governor Greg Abbott, who has said he intends to sign the measure into law when it reaches his desk.

Greenville Police Chief Scott Smith and Hunt County Sheriff Terry Jones said they were prepared for the eventuality of the law being implemented.

“I am a firm supporter of the 2nd Amendment,” Jones said. “We will take the actions required by law and implement our policies accordingly.”

Smith was wanting to see a final version of the law, but knew it was on its way regardless.

“It will present some challenges that perhaps we haven’t had in the past,” Smith said, as he realizes the law may increase the appeal to the public of buying and wearing a handgun. But he also knows there are responsibilities involved in owning and maintaining any weapon which may eventually temper some of the enthusiasm.

“I think at some point it will settle down into a new reality for all of us,” Smith said.