The author’s last paragraph makes a valid point. The only reason the NFA & NFRTR (the registry) was found to be legal – and by SCOTUS first in 1937 and several times later in cases that followed – was that Congress had the power to tax and the registry was ‘simply’ to confirm that the tax had been paid, or was covered under one of the very few exemptions.

Here’s the deal. Back in 1986 with the Firearms Owners Protection Act, an actual ban on a gun registry was included. 18 U.S. Code § 926 (a) (3) :

No such rule or regulation prescribed after the date of the enactment of the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act may require that records required to be maintained under this chapter or any portion of the contents of such records, be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or any political subdivision thereof, nor that any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions be established.

What with the adjudicated reason making the NFRTR avoid the ban eliminated by law, my bet is that within weeks, if not days after the law-if passed-goes into effect, some people in several of the different court circuits will file suit that the tax free part of the NFRTR is illegal, per that

New Senate Budget Language Would Scrap Taxes on Suppressors, Short Barrel Firearms

After Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that the language repealing the taxes and registration requirements for NFA items like suppressors, short barreled firearms, and “any other weapons” could not be included in the One Big Beautiful Bill, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and others quickly floated an alternative: zeroing out the making and transfer taxes, while keeping the registration requirements in place.

That language has now been included in the text of the budget bill that’s slated for a preliminary procedural vote in the Senate later today (you can find it on page 491).

The new language would zero out the making and transfer taxes on suppressors, short barrel rifles and shotguns, as well as “any other weapons”, which should satisfy the demands of Second Amendment organizations NRA, GOA, SAF, FPC, American Suppressor Association, F.A.I.R. Trade Group, and the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers; who released a joint statement on the reconciliation bill Friday night.

The American Suppressor Association, Gun Owners of America, Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, National Rifle Association, National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers, and F.A.I.R. Trade Group strongly disagree with the weaponized procedural maneuvering used by the unelected parliamentarian to block the removal of suppressors and short barreled firearms from the NFA tax scheme in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Unless the Senate chooses to overrule her egregious decision or the Senate Majority Leader removes the existing parliamentarian, which is well within their rights, immediate action must be taken to ensure law-abiding Americans are able to exercise their Second Amendment rights without the draconian NFA tax.

Though not the full tax repeal it should have been, there is still an opportunity to use well-established precedent to lower the NFA’s unconstitutional excise tax on suppressors and short-barreled firearms to zero dollars.

Our organizations stand united on behalf of millions of law-abiding gun owners in calling on Congress to immediately make this revision. This is a critical step in our fight against the unconstitutional NFA tax scheme and for the rights of all Americans.

Democrats will undoubtably object to the new language as well, and MacDonough will have to make another ruling once the bill hits the Senate floor, but folks I’ve spoken with on the Hill and within the 2A community have expressed confidence that by limiting the language solely to taxation and leaving the registration requirements in place the parliamentarian will rule in favor of the amendment.

Some groups, including Gun Owners of America, are still calling on MacDonough to be fired or overruled by Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

Thune has repeatedly said that isn’t going to happen, and over at The Reload, Stephen Gutowski has a pretty good explainer about why the Senate Majority Leader isn’t likely to oust MacDonough, even with some Republican senators demanding she be fired.

Gutowski’s piece is behind a member’s paywall, so I’d encourage you to subscribe to The Reload and read the entire piece for yourself, but the gist of it is this line:

To many in the Senate, firing or overruling the parliamentarian during reconciliation is akin to ending the filibuster. If you can nuke the parliamentarian on one question in this process, you can nuke them on any. What goes around comes around, or so the thinking goes.

If MacDonough was fired or overruled in order to repeal the taxation and registration requirements for NFA items with just 51 votes, Republicans would be giving Democrats the precedent to expand the NFA the same way the next time they have control of the chamber. Imagine AR-15s and other semi-automatic firearms treated like machine guns, and large capacity magazines treated like suppressors, all because there were 51 Democrats willing to include that language in a budget bill.

That’s just one 2A-specific example, but there would likely be dozens of items on the Democrats’ wish list that would be enacted by disregarding the parliamentarian when they’re in charge. It’s the same rationale for keeping the filibuster in place: what goes around comes around, and any short-term advantage to destroying the filibuster or the tradition of adhering to the parliamentarian’s rulings wouldn’t be worth the long-term damage.

Thune could bend to the demands and dismiss MacDonough or decide her rulings don’t matter, but I really don’t think that’s likely. And if he did do that, we could see provisions that 2A groups don’t like get inserted back into the One Big Beautiful Bill; like the language that would require courts to impose financial bonds before issuing temporary restraining orders or preliminary injunctions against the federal government, which would cripple the ability of Second Amendment groups and individuals to file lawsuits challenging federal gun laws.

I still think MacDonough’s ruling was ridiculous given that the registration aspect of the NFA is directly tied to the taxing elements. But if the tax goes away, the same coalition that issued its statement on Friday night could always try to challenge the NFA registry in court, arguing that it’s no longer necessary or even moot once the taxes have been zeroed out. It might take a little longer, but we could see the registration requirements disappear… so long as the narrower language survives a second round of parliamentarian scrutiny.

Deputes determine shooting in Keithville was in self-defense

KEITHVILLE, La. (KSLA) – Deputies responded to reports of a shooting Friday morning (June 27).

It happened not long after 11 a.m. on Stagecoach Road just off Mansfield Road near Drag Strip Road. More than a dozen units from the sheriff’s office responded.

Officials with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office say one person, identified as Joseph Whitaker, was shot in the upper body. His injuries are none-life-threatening, according to CPSO.

Whitaker was initially transported to Willis Knighton South by a private vehicle and was later transferred to Ochsner LSU Health.

Investigators arrived at the scene and determined that the victim had attempted to leave a heated verbal altercation by getting into his truck. However, Whitaker went up to his vehicle and began hitting him in the head.

The shooting happened not long after 11 a.m. on Stagecoach Road just off Mansfield Road near Drag Strip Road.

While the victim was being attacked, he pulled out a gun, in fear for his life and fired two shots at Whitaker. After firing, the victim left the scene but returned moments later when deputies arrived.

Following the investigation, it was determined that the victim acted in self-defense. Whitaker was issued a summons for simple battery at the hospital.

Lalo Schifrin, Acclaimed Composer of Mission: Impossible and Mannix Themes, Dies at 93.

His résumé also included work on Coogan’s Bluff (1968) — that kicked off his long association with Eastwood and director Don Siegel — Kelly’s Heroes (1970), Charley Varrick (1973), The Eagle Has Landed (1976) Telefon (1977), The Nude Bomb (1980), Black Moon Rising (1986), Money Talks (1997), Something to Believe In (1998), Tango (1998), Bringing Down the House (2003) and The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004).

Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader. Don’t fall victim to what I call the ‘ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome’. You must be willing to fire.
– T. Boone Pickens

Schrodinger’s NFA… It’s both a tax and not a tax and an infringement on 2A and not an infringement on 2A dependent on the political party of the observer.

Well, apparently we were misled earlier.
The partisan hack demoncrap appointed parliamentarian says that a tax law (so specified as such by the writes back in 1934 and so ruled as such by SCOTUS themselves isn’t a tax law that can be dealt with under reconciliation.

Generation capacity hasn’t kept up.
Besides building more nuke plants, maybe they shouldn’t have shut down all those coal fired ones.

TVA urges power conservation as temperatures climb.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is asking all electric power consumers, including Hartselle Utilities customers, to voluntarily reduce electricity usage beginning today as extreme heat continues to strain the power system across the region.

The sustained high temperatures have created significant demand on TVA’s power grid, prompting the call for energy conservation to help ensure system reliability across its seven-state service territory.

Ty Chancellor, general manager of Hartselle Utilities, said customers can take several steps to help reduce demand. He encouraged residents to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or the highest temperature they can safely and comfortably tolerate. He also suggested turning off lights and unplugging electronics in rooms not in use, and delaying the use of large appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers until after the request is lifted. Additional measures include taking shorter showers to limit hot water usage and sealing windows and doors to keep cool air inside.

“These steps are vital to maintaining power system stability, avoiding service interruptions, and ensuring a reliable supply of electricity during this period of high demand,” Chancellor said.

“These procedures are precautionary measures to ensure the grid continues function appropriately during peak usage times,” he added. “TVA is continuously working to get additional generation online to assist with peak demand during this hot weather period.” 

The request applies to all residential, commercial and industrial power users in the region. Additional resources for saving energy and lowering electricity bills are available on TVA’s EnergyRight Solutions website.

“By working together, we can help safeguard the power system and minimize the risk of outages for everyone,” Chancellor said.

Concealed carry holder shoots at armed robbers in the West Loop

A concealed carry license holder intervened in a violent robbery in the West Loop on Tuesday morning, firing shots at two armed suspects who fled the scene.

It all started around 8:50 a.m. in the 1100 block of West Hubbard Street.

A 38-year-old woman was outside when two men, both armed with guns, approached her, demanded her belongings, and pistol-whipped her before taking her possessions, police said

But a 41-year-old man who is licensed to carry concealed firearms witnessed the robbery and confronted the robbers, a Chicago police spokesperson said. The robbers pointed their guns at him, prompting the witness to draw his weapon and open fire on them. No one was struck by the gunfire.

The offenders fled northbound in a black Lexus sedan bearing stolen New Jersey license plates. The victim declined medical assistance, and no other injuries were reported.

CPD did not release a description of the robbers.

Civil Rights, part 15: From Liberty to Tyranny

BY JOSH FLOWERS

The Second Amendment – How ‘Public Safety’ Is Used to Justify Disarmament

There are two types of governments in this world:
+ The kind that lets its citizens own guns.

x The kind that owns its citizens.

And the people who hate the Second Amendment don’t just want to ban guns.
They want to eliminate your ability to say NO.
They want to turn you from a citizen into a subject.
They want a monopoly on force — so you have no choice but to obey.

That’s why every authoritarian government in history has disarmed its population before taking total control.

Mao did it. Stalin did it. Hitler did it.
And right now, the American government is using civil rights laws and “public safety” mandates to do the same thing — one restriction at a time.

So today, we break it down:
Why the Second Amendment is non-negotiable.
How civil rights laws are being weaponized to justify gun bans.
Why “public safety” is just an excuse for state control.
How we fight back before we become a nation of defenseless subjects.

Because if you think your First Amendment rights are under attack now, just wait until you have no way to defend them.

Continue reading “”

Original Thomas Jefferson letter will hit the auction block on July 4

A letter written by Thomas Jefferson will go up for auction on July 4. Estimators value the letter, which discusses the right to bear arms and the Treaty of Paris, at $90,000.

As America celebrates its 249th birthday on July 4, a unique piece of American history from one of the founding fathers will hit the auction block.

A letter written by Thomas Jefferson that asserts the rights of democratic citizens to “exercise in arms for defense of their country” will go up for bids in an auction from the Raab Collection. Estimators value the letter at $90,000.

This is the first time the letter has been made available for purchase since 1982.

Written on Dec. 31, 1783, and addressed to Benjamin Harrison, then the governor of Virginia and a fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence, the letter addresses a number of topics. Jefferson muses on the spread of democracy across the world and the political fate of the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the war between the U.S. and Great Britain.

The letter could be of particular interest to Second Amendment enthusiasts, which would be somewhat ironic since the Second Amendment would not be written until six years after it was penned. Despite that, Jefferson makes a passionate case for the right to bear arms in his note to Harrison, writing that Democratic citizens wanted “to exercise in arms for the defense of their country: of 80000 men able to bear arms among them it is believed scarcely any will refuse to sign this demand.”

Jefferson also expresses concerns that the Treaty of Paris might not be ratified by Congress in time for it to be sent back to Britain and made official.

“We have yet but seven states, and no more certain prospects of nine than at any time heretofore. We hope that the letters sent to the absent states will bring them forward,” he writes.

(Harrison, in a follow-up note that is not part of the auction, would write back to calm his fears that the treaty would pass.)

“This letter speaks to us today on many levels,” said Nathan Raab, president of the Raab Collection and author of The Hunt for History. “We can see the power and inspiration of Jefferson’s pen, as he can begin to reflect on the success of his work and the American Revolution and witness democratic ideals spreading worldwide.”

To Benjamin Harrison
Annapolis, Dec. 31, 1783.

Sir
Letters from Holland from the middle to the last of September inform us that the citizens of the Dutch states are all in commotion. The conduct of the Prince of Orange having been such as greatly to strengthen the republican party, they are now pressing in the firmest tone a restoration of their constitutional rights. Friesland, as usual, leads the way.

They have demanded of the sovereign assembly of the states that the power of the Stadtholder to change or reinforce the garrisons be limited or taken away, and that themselves be authorized to exercise in arms for the defence of their country: of 80000 men able to bear arms among them it is believed scarcely any will refuse to sign this demand.

The Hollanders have referred to a Committee in their last assembly the examination of the power by which the prince undertakes to appoint flag officers of their fleet, and that he be desired to abstain from the exercise of it. There happens to be vacant the place of admiral. The other states seem to be in the same temper, and are now regularly exercising themselves in arms under the ensigns of their respective towns. Tho each state is to chuse their Stadtholder out of the Orange family they consider themselves not bound to chuse the eldest, and of course that they may chuse different ones.

The state of Europe at present seems favorable to the republican party, as the powers who might aid the prince are either fatigued with the late war, or likely to be engaged in the ensuing one.

We have yet but seven states, and no more certain prospects of nine than at any time heretofore. We hope that the letters sent to the absent states will bring them forward.