Louisiana Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto of Bill Protecting Kids From Transgender Surgeries.

The cultural conflicts that play out in various states become complicated when the legislature and the executive come from different parties. Take Louisiana for example: in the Bayou State, the legislature is heavily Republican, while Gov. John Bel Edwards is a Democrat.

In 2023, the state legislature passed multiple bills that sought to counter the transgender madness that’s sweeping our culture. The legislature voted on and passed three bills: HB81 would have required teachers and school staff to use a child’s birth pronouns unless parents consented to use alternate pronouns; HB466 was Louisiana’s version of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law; and HB648 prohibited gender treatments for minors. As one would expect of a Democrat, Edwards vetoed all three bills.

The GOP-dominated legislature began to work to override the vetoes, but Republicans couldn’t muster enough support to get to the two-thirds majority that the law requires to override the vetoes on HB81 and HB466. However, large majorities in both chambers voted to override Edwards’ veto of HB648, so that bill will become law.

“Thanks to the bi-partisan support of the Louisiana State Senate, we are one step closer to protecting children in Louisiana from experimental chemical and surgical sex change procedures. HB648 has passed both chambers of the state legislature with veto-proof majorities, and the people of Louisiana have made it clear that our children are worth fighting for,” State Rep. Gabe Firment (R-22nd district), who sponsored the bill, said in a statement.
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House committee imposes major cuts to Justice, FBI, Commerce.

As had been suggested by its decision to not impose any cuts (or increases) to the NASA budget, the House appropriation subcommittee in charge of Commerce, Justice, Science-related agencies imposed all of the 28.8% cuts required by the House leadership on the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Commerce department.

Overall, the bill appropriates $58.4 billion for programs under the jurisdiction of the committee, a $23.8 billion cut compared to the current fiscal year. It eliminates 14 “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs in the covered agencies, cuts spending on “wasteful” climate change programs, and saves more than $50 million by ending the Biden administration’s plan to replace auto fleets at the Department of Commerce and Department of Justice with electric vehicles.

According to the GOP summary, the Commerce Department would see a $1.4 billion cut in discretionary funding, and the Department of Justice would see a $2 billion cut. Federal science agencies together would face a $1.1 billion cut under the bill.

The FBI’s budget is to be cut $1 billion, or 9% (an actual cut, not a reduction in the increase in spending), with $400 million of that coming from salaries and expenses. It also forbids the agency from spending a dime on its planned dream of a new posh and palatial headquarters in the DC suburbs, twice the size of the Pentagon and costing more than $3 billion.

This is exactly what Republicans should have been doing for decades, and were too cowardly to attempt. If an agency of unelected employees in the executive branch abuses its power and causes harm to innocent citizens, something the FBI and the Justice Department have been eagerly doing since Trump became president, then it is the responsibility and obligation of Congress to use its power of the purse to cut those agencies’ funding.

Even now, however, no one should be confident these cuts will end up in the final bill. This is only the recommendations of one subcommittee. There are still many Republican cowards in the full House, and even more in the full Senate, who will gladly team up with the Democrats (who are all in favor of the abuse of power and the harm to innocent citizens) to reinstate the cuts.

Nonetheless, this is a start. It indicates that we might finally have turned a real political corner towards reform.

Press Release: Attorney General Bailey joins 23 states in opposing California’s defacto handgun ban

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced today that his office joined 23 other states in challenging California’s “Unsafe Handgun Act.” The amicus brief supports the California Rifle & Pistol Association’s challenge to the California law aimed at limiting the sale and use of guns in California and nationwide.“The Second Amendment guarantees freedom and security for all Americans. I will not stand idly by while rogue progressive activists in California attempt to eradicate the freedoms of law-abiding gun owners that are enshrined in our Constitution,” said Attorney General Bailey. “I am proud to stand in the gap with my fellow attorneys general to protect our God-given rights.”The State of California aims to use the “Unsafe Handgun Act” to chill firearm commerce. California law requires new semiautomatic handguns to have three components:

  1. A chamber load indicator,
  2. a magazine disconnect mechanism, and
  3. microstamping capability.

Currently, no new gun on the market meets all three of these requirements. California has effectively created hurdles to halt the purchase of all new firearms, a clear violation of the Second Amendment.Joining Missouri in filing the brief are the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

We know why the programs and agencies stay around – it’s an easy way to skim money.

Republican Lawmaker’s Bill Seeks to Phase Out ‘Zombie’ Federal Programs Costing Over $510

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) wants to phase out the more than 1,100 “Zombie” federal agencies and programs that continue for years on end to get over $358 billion annually despite having expired legislative authorizations.

The McMorris Rodgers proposal is H.R. 1518, the Unauthorized Spending Act (USA), which she has introduced in every Congress since 2016. The Washington state Republican believes her proposal is needed to restore to voters the power of accountability in the nation’s capital.

“We have a fiscal crisis in America today, too much of the federal government is on autopilot. Americans are rightly frustrated by a government that thinks it knows best. These frustrations are a symptom of the people losing our power to ensure every penny of taxpayer money and every decision by federal agencies are subject to citizens’ scrutiny,” McMorris Rodgers explained in a statement on her official website.

“The USA Act aims to restore the American people’s ‘power of the purse’ by eliminating unauthorized spending or ‘Zombie’ programs—spending on government programs that haven’t been authorized by the people’s representatives in Congress. This bill is simple, it ensures that every penny of taxpayer money is subject to the scrutiny of the American people.

“It means that the people’s representatives are doing their jobs to effectively review, rethink, and possibly eliminate programs that are no longer needed. It means restoring the power of the purse and ending unauthorized spending,” she continued.

Her proposal currently has 11 co-sponsors, all Republicans, in the House of Representatives, and sits in the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the House Budget Committee, awaiting further action. No hearings have been scheduled on the measure.

The Congress Budget Office (CBO), in an April 2023 report, “identified 1,108 authorizations of appropriations that expired before the beginning of fiscal year 2023 and 355 authorizations that are set to expire before the end of the fiscal year. CBO also found that $510 billion in appropriations for 2023 was associated with 428 expired authorizations of appropriations.”

The USA proposal “puts all unauthorized programs on a pathway to sunset in three years, which is enforced by a reduction in overall budget authority based on the total value of unauthorized programs,” according to a fact sheet on the McMorris Rodgers website.

“In the first year after expiration, overall budget authority is reduced by 10 percent of the total value of unauthorized spending. In the second and third years, that increases to 15 percent. The programs in question would sunset at the end of the third fiscal year after expiration,” the fact sheet said.

Congress could also decide to reauthorize a Zombie agency or program, but individual senators and representatives would have to go on record one way or another whether to phase out funding or reauthorize the activity.

The process of deciding what to do about a specific Zombie agency or program would be overseen by a new Spending Accountability Commission (SAC) tasked with establishing reauthorization schedules, conducting reviews of the effectiveness of the agencies and programs, and recommending mandatory budget cuts “to be used as potential offsets to restore budget authority that was reduced due to unauthorized programs.”

For David Ditch, Zombie federal agencies are programs, especially those that have continued with funding but without reauthorization, “are a symptom of a federal government that is far too big for the institution of Congress to manage. No institution in the history of humanity could properly manage an entity [like the federal government] that employs so many people doing so many things and spending so much money covering such a broad range of topics.”

Ditch is a senior policy analyst in the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at The Heritage Foundation think tank. Before joining Heritage, Ditch worked on the Senate Budget Committee where, among much else, he analyzed Zombie agencies and programs.

At the heart of the problem, Ditch told The Epoch Times, is how “Congress, rather than doing the hard work of analyzing the performance of an existing federal agency or program, the instinct is to create new things that you can take political credit for back home.”

4 Decades as a Zombie

“Especially when you combine those political incentives with the astronomical growth of the federal government that took place during the 20th century and which has been allowed to keep growing and festering over time, you end up with a combination of small Zombies that probably should be repealed, and I would say large important programs with nowhere near enough oversight,” Ditch said.

Among the results of such political dysfunction are federal agencies—like the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities—that have continued receiving billions of tax dollars despite their legislative authorizations having expired three decades ago in 1993.

Other examples of Zombie programs include the Title X Family Planning Program in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that expired in 1985 which, Ditch pointed out, primarily provides funding for one of the most hotly debated federal subsidy recipients, the Planned Parenthood Foundation of America, Inc.

“If it is so contentious that we couldn’t reauthorize it, why should that program be entitled to going on four decades of billions of dollars over that time period in federal funds?” Ditch asked.

Maine Democrats fail in initial try to push gun control through House

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine House of Representatives defeated a measure Tuesday to enshrine a 72-hour waiting period before gun purchases.

Maine sticks out nationally as a Democratic-controlled state with a strong hunting culture that combines loose gun laws and  high levels of gun ownership with lower levels of gun mortality, although federal data from 2021 showed the latter was the highest in New England. Voters in 2016 rejected a referendum on mandatory background checks on private gun sales.

House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, is proposing a similar law this year. The waiting period bill from Rep. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, which would have Maine join seven states with similar laws, was a test to see whether the party could display unity on the fraught issue.

But Republicans and a small number of Democrats defeated the waiting period bill in a 73-69 vote on Tuesday evening. It goes to the Senate for additional votes. Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, has taken a dim view of gun control recently.

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Governor Abbott Signs Key Pro-Second Amendment Bills into Law!

Over the weekend, Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed important legislation protecting the privacy rights of lawful firearms purchasers and strengthening the state firearms preemption law. Both measures will take effect on September 1, 2023:

House Bill 2837, by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler), prohibits financial institutions and credit card companies from requiring licensed dealers to use a firearms-specific merchant category code (MCC) to categorize retail gun purchases, rather than using a general merchandise retailer code or a sporting goods retailer code. It protects the privacy rights of lawful purchasers of firearms or ammunition by preventing payment card processing systems from collecting and misusing this data to surveil, report or disclose these legal transactions.

Gun control advocates successfully pressured activist banks on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to create a unique MCC for licensed gun dealers. Now, they are pushing lawmakers to require credit card companies to use these MCCs to gather data on and track lawful firearms and ammunition purchases. Since the federal government is prohibited by law from creating and maintaining a registry of gun owners, they are attempting to outsource this effort to the private financial sector.

HB 2837 ensures that this will not happen in the Lone Star State! Texas joins Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia in taking swift action this year to enact laws protecting lawful gun purchasers’ privacy when using credit cards at firearm retailers.

House Bill 3137, by Rep. Carrie Isaac (R-Wimberley), expands the state firearms preemption law to prohibit municipalities or counties from requiring firearm owners to obtain liability insurance, preventing such costly, California-style local regulations from being imposed on law-abiding Texas gun owners in the future.   

Governor Abbott had already signed a third pro-Second Amendment measure into law back in May: House Bill 1760 by Rep. Cole Hefner (R-Mount Pleasant). The current prohibition in the Texas Penal Code on firearms possession at school-sponsored activities could be interpreted to include countless locations where school field trips, school organization fundraisers and after-school programs occur, including public and private venues that are not owned by, or under the control of, a school. HB 1760 makes it clear that License To Carry holders and permitless carriers in possession of otherwise legal firearms at these locations would not become felons simply because students are present on the same premises. The bill clarifies that it is only an offense to carry a firearm where school activities are taking place if they are being conducted on property that is owned or operated by a school. 

NSSF WELCOMES U.S. SEN. GRAHAM’S FFL PROTECTION ACT


WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, welcomes the introduction of the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act, introduced by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), along with 22 co-sponsors. The bill would strengthen and enhance criminal penalties for thefts of firearms from federally licensed firearm retailers. This legislation sends a strong message to those violent criminals engaging in these illicit activities and helps provide for safer communities, assists law enforcement and protects the livelihoods of firearm retailers.

“This is what true gun safety legislation looks like. Senator Graham’s FFL Protection Act sends an unequivocal message to criminals intent on burglarizing and robbing firearm retailers that the safety of America’s communities is nonnegotiable,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “This legislation sends a strong message to violent criminals engaging in these illicit activities that there will be accountability and consequences for their crimes. This legislation assigns the responsibility for the crime where it belongs – with the criminal. Senator Graham has been a staunch advocate of holding criminals accountable and protecting firearm retailers. This legislation does both. This legislation is a real solution that will make our communities safer.”

The Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act builds on the efforts NSSF has taken to address robbery and burglary of firearms through the partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on Operation Secure Store®, one of several Real Solutions. Safer Communities.® firearm industry safety initiatives. As part of Operation Secure Store, NSSF matches ATF reward offers for information regarding these crimes that leads to the arrest and conviction of the criminals responsible and the recovery of the stolen firearms. Additionally, NSSF helps raise awareness among firearm retailers to educate them on steps they can take to reduce the chance guns will be stolen from them during a burglary or robbery. In cooperation with ATF, NSSF conducts retailer store security seminars, assists retailers with store security audits of their premises and endorses and promotes the use of security products like smash resistant display cases.

ATF Director Dettelbach testified before Congress on the Operation Secure Store partnership with NSSF. ATF data has shown Operation Secure Store is working. Firearm retailer burglaries in 2021 were 277, compared to 577 in 2017 and 2,936 firearms were stolen in 2021 from firearm retailers, a 65 percent drop from the 7,841 firearms stolen from retailers in 2017.

Congressmen John Rutherford (R-Fla.) and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) introduced the U.S. House of Representative’s FFL Protection Act as H.R. 2620.

Three Pro-Rights Bills Passed by Texas Lawmakers

Three pieces of legislation backed by the National Rifle Association were passed by the Texas Legislature over the weekend and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has already signed one of the measures.

According to the NRA, the three bills are:

House Bill 1760which has already been signed into law, provides a solution to allegedly “roving gun-free” school zones, which apply to school events occurring away from the school campus. This legislation limits “gun-free” restrictions to facilities actually owned and controlled by schools, or where high school, collegiate and UIL activities described in the State Penal Code (Section 46.03) are held.

House Bill 2837, which is awaiting Abbott’s signature, is designed to protect the privacy rights of people who purchase firearms and ammunition by preventing financial institutions from requiring the use of a firearms-specific merchant category code (MCC) when such purchases are made. This bill thwarts efforts by gun control groups to essentially separate gun and ammunition purchases from other retail buying with a unique MCC as established by the International Organization for Standardization. The NRA contends anti-gunners were looking for a way to create a defacto registry of gun owners, since the federal government is prohibited by law from doing so.

House Bill 3137 prevents local governments (city and/or county) from requiring firearm owners to obtain liability insurance, under the state firearms preemption law.

The gun prohibition lobby portrays Texas as something of a no-man’s land, and the media focuses on mass shootings there, while essentially supporting states such as California, with its strict gun laws, but which also has mass shootings.

Anti-gunners were busy this session in Austin, where, according to NRA figures, there were a dozen bills aimed at so-called “universal background checks,” eight so-called “red flag” bills, nine bills proposing restrictions on magazine capacity, and a whopping 21 bills that would have placed restrictions on firearms or ammunition sales to young adults.

NSSF COMMENDS NORTH DAKOTA GOV. BURGUM FOR SIGNING SECOND AMENDMENT FINANCIAL PRIVACY ACT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, commends North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for signing legislation to protect the financial privacy of purchases with credit cards at firearm retailers. Gov. Burgum signed the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act to prohibit the use of a special Merchant Category Code (MCC) for credit card purchases and prevent personal financial information from being shared by financial institutions.

“Governor Burgum is putting gun control special interests in ‘woke’ Wall Street financial corporations on notice that their attempts at antigun policies end at North Dakota’s borders,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “North Dakotans legally purchasing firearms and ammunition should never be threatened by private financial service providers or government authorities by having their name and financial data being added to a government-accessible watchlist simply for exercising their Second Amendment rights. Governor Burgum is ensuring North Dakotans won’t be held captive by the radical ‘woke’ antigun agenda that seeks to weaponize credit cards in gun owners’ wallets against them. Gun owners should worry about what’s in their wallet, not who’s in their wallet.”

Gov. Burgum signed the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act (HB 1487). The law prohibits financial institutions from requiring a firearm retailer-specific code that is different from that of other sporting goods or general merchandise retailers.

In late 2022, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) announced it would create a unique MCC, at the behest of Amalgamated Bank which has been described as the Left’s Private Banker, that would allow credit card companies to monitor transactions at firearm retailers. Credit card companies suspended plans to implement the use of unique firearm retailer MCCs after significant opposition by NSSF and several state governments.

North Dakota joins Florida, West Virginia, Mississippi and Idaho in enacting laws to protect firearm purchasers’ privacy when using credit cards at firearm retailers. Legislation similar to these state laws is pending in Congress.

GUN CONTROL GOV. MAKES ALL-CALL FOR GUN CONTROL, FAILS ON THE BASICS

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham knows exactly where to go to get fawning media coverage and an agreeable viewing audience for her all-call gun control platform.

Gov. Lujan Grisham joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe just days following the murders of three innocent Americans by a mentally troubled 18-year old. She knew there would be no serious pushback or correcting by the host of her false statements about firearms and lies about the firearm industry.

Then again, that was most likely her goal. And, sadly, its standard operating procedure for much of what passes these days for “mainstream media” and journalism.

Facts and Details

Gov. Lujan Grisham’s support for gun control restrictions is already well-known. It’s why she was in consideration to be President Joe Biden’s running mate back in 2019. One of the pillar planks of the Governor’s platform is to ban the possession, sale and transfer of Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) in New Mexico. There are currently more than 24.4 million in circulation since 1990. That means they are more commonly-owned than there are Ford F-150 pickup trucks. I’d venture you couldn’t drive five minutes in New Mexico without seeing an F-150 on the road.

New Mexico’s governor started with the “weapons of war” false allegations to demonize all lawful ownership because of the crazed acts of a lone, mentally disturbed individual.

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AGs ask court to dismiss Mexico lawsuit claiming U.S. firearms industry is responsible for cartel violence

(The Center Square) – A Mexican government lawsuit blaming American firearm manufacturers for cartel violence is bogus, 20 Republican attorneys general argue. In a new brief filed with the First Circuit Appeals Court, they asked the court to dismiss the case.

Last September, Chief District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, presiding over the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, dismissed Mexico’s lawsuit filed against several U.S. gun manufacturers. The defendants include Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.; Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc.; Beretta U.S.A. Corp.; Glock, Inc.; Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.; Witmer Public Safety Group, Inc., D/B/A Interstate Arms; Century International Arms, Inc.; Baretta Holdings Spa, Glock Ges.M.B.H; and Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Llc.

The Mexican government is seeking $10 billion in damages for cartel violence in a country where guns can only be purchased legally at one gun store in Mexico City run by the Mexican Army. In 2018, the store sold 38 firearms on average, a day, compared to an estimated 580 weapons smuggled into Mexico from the U.S., the Los Angeles Times reported.

Mexico’s lawsuit isn’t a new claim. In 2016, the former Mexican president also argued that cartel firearm trafficking was “strengthening the cartels and other criminal organizations that create violence in Mexico,” the Times reported.

Law enforcement officials have explained to The Center Square that Mexican cartel violence is perpetrated through the illegal purchasing and trafficking of firearms, largely financed through human and drug trafficking and smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border. People and drugs are trafficked and smuggled north; illegal weapons, cash and other contraband move south, officials have explained.

The AGs argue, “Mexico advances a legal theory that is unsupported by fact or law.

“On the facts, American gun manufacturers are not responsible for gun violence in Mexico. Rather, policy choices by the Mexican government, policy failures in the United States, and independent criminal actions by third parties are alone responsible for gun violence in Mexico,” they state in the brief.

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I like how they add “the courts 6-3 conservative majority” part in there to remind everyone that “Oh it’s the conservatives fault we can’t pass gun control”.

[Nevada Governor] Lombardo vetoes three Democrat-backed gun control bills

Ahead of a press conference from advocates aimed at pressuring Gov. Joe Lombardo to sign a trio of Democrat-proposed gun control measures, the Republican governor vetoed the three bills.

Lombardo’s action marks the first veto of the session and arrives after he pledged on his campaign website to “veto any legislation” that would take away the “right to build a firearm for personal use.” At that time, Lombardo also said he “supports the right of all law-abiding citizens to own a firearm if they so choose.” Republican lawmakers — who voted en masse against the three proposals — have been unwilling to support such policies.

“I will not support legislation that infringes on the constitutional rights of Nevadans,” Lombardo said in a press release Wednesday. “As I stated in my letters, much of the legislation I vetoed today is in direct conflict with legal precedent and established constitutional protections. Therefore, I cannot support them.”

The first, SB171, sponsored by Sen. Dallas Harris (D-Las Vegas), would have prevented a gun purchase from anyone convicted of a hate crime in the last 10 years.

Separately, AB354, sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas), would have criminalized bringing a gun within 100 feet of an election site, while AB355, also sponsored by Jauregui, would have raised the legal age to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to 21, as well as aimed to close a legal loophole in the state’s 2021 attempt to ban so-called “ghost guns.”

In a statement to The Nevada Independent, Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) said she “desperately” wishes the governor would put the safety of Nevadans over partisan politics.

“After his time consoling the families of the 1 October massacre, I expected the governor to have the basic empathy to realize his responsibility to prevent future mass shootings and gun violence tragedies,” Jauregui said in a text message. “I never want a Nevadan to experience the trauma that I and so many have endured.”

She vowed to continue to work on gun violence prevention measures during her time in office.

The three bills passed through the Legislature on party-line votes.

In a press conference held immediately after the governor’s office announced the vetoes, legislative Democrats and gun control advocates pilloried the move as “shameful.”

“We sent over three commonsense options, bills, by the way, that Republicans are supporting in other states across this country today,” Harris said. “If this is how he wants to run his office, if these are the first bills he wants to veto, then I say game on.”

Though she did not clarify what other states she meant in her remarks, Republican lawmakers in Texas moved to advance a bill raising the age limit to purchase certain assault-style weapons through an initial committee earlier this month, following a spate of shooting violence this spring.

However, in legal citations included in the three veto messages sent to lawmakers Wednesday, Lombardo leaned heavily on the potential for two of the measures — AB354 and AB355 — to falter under relatively new Supreme Court precedent established within the last two years.

In both instances, the governor’s office cited New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, a 2021 case in which the court’s 6-3 conservative majority ruled that state-level gun control legislation could only be deemed constitutional if there was a historic precedent for such laws.

“As such, were this bill to become law, it is unlikely it would pass constitutional muster,” Lombardo’s veto message on AB355 said.

Lysander Boomer

Given the threat to our economic and consequently political stability posed by the consequences of the curtailment of natural gas production, I would welcome a statement from the governors of producing states about what their intentions are in the future.

Assuming a second Biden term, it is probable that additional restrictions will be passed aimed at destroying domestic energy production. State governments must nullify such restrictions and ensure sufficient energy supplies.

I would encourage the formation of regional organizations between states to ensure that at a minimum, politically aligned states are not economically devastated by the policies of this administration. Joint litigation, joint resistance, joint production etc.
The lights must be kept on, the production of food must not be interfered with, the grid must be secured against sabotage, both physical and legislative in origin.

If we must have a constitutional crisis, let it be over keeping folks fed and living with proper amounts of air conditioning and electrical services. The feds will either yield or be displaced in such a circumstance.

Force the agenda out into the open. Use state power to the absolute maximum to ensure the prosperity of your state and confederate with other likeminded states to resist the inevitable federal repercussions. It may get ugly but it is a worthy fight.

Potentially consider passing legislation to allow for the recall of senators if they are judged to act against the interest of the state government. This will work to restore the intention of the senate as a battleground of the states.
State legislatures must wield their power strongly to defend against federal overreach. I can’t say it enough, the states must arm themselves (legally) against the federal government and prepare to fight with everything they’ve got.

The U.S. Constitution

Article I
Section 1
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 8
The Congress shall have Power To…

…provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Establishes ‘9/11 Heroes Day,’ Requiring Children to Learn About the Attack

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed another batch of bills on Tuesday, one of which designates September 11 as “9/11 Heroes Day,” requiring middle and high school students to learn about the attack.

DeSantis discussed a series of bills passed by the Florida legislature, slated to empower Florida’s teachers and “reign in out-of-control unions and school boards,” according to the governor’s office.

In addition to approving a $252 million increase in teacher salaries, DeSantis is signing Senate Bill 256, House Bill 477, House Bill 1537, House Bill 1035, and House Bill 379.

House Bill 477 addresses school board members, decreasing their terms from 12 years to eight years. Further, Joint Resolution 31 will make school board elections more transparent rather than “nonpartisan,” thereby allowing partisan elections. This will be in effect for the 2024 elections.

House Bill 1537, which largely focuses on preparation programs for teachers, also contains a provision establishing September 11 as “9/11 Heroes Day,” requiring 45 minutes of instruction for both middle and high school students on the tragic attack on U.S. soil:

The bill also includes something that we were asked to support over the last year, year and a half, by folks who were serving in uniform in New York City during September 11. And that is establishing a ‘9/11 Heroes Day’ in honor of those who gave their lives fighting for freedom on September 11.

“And so now kids in school are going to be learning about people who sacrificed at the Twin Towers and at the Pentagon on September 11,” he said.

DeSantis noted during Tuesday’s press conference that children in schools were born after the attack and therefore have no remembrance of it, as older generations do:

When you think about it, many of us remember that, and that was kind of a big deal for our country in terms of the last generation, but you look at these kids in high school here, they were not even born when September 11 happened. So we think it’s important that those folks are honored.

DeSantis also touted House Bill 1035, which establishes a Teachers’ Bill of Rights. House Bill 379, meanwhile, addresses social media, effectively removing TikTok from schools.

WATCH the full press conference below:

That’s 27

ICYMI: Governor Pillen Signs Constitutional Carry Bill Into Law

LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen signed LB77 Constitutional Carry into Nebraska law. LB77 allows law-abiding Nebraskans who are 21 years or older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Governor Pillen was joined by the bill introducer Sen. Tom Brewer and state senators.

 “Signing this bill upholds the promise I made to voters to protect our constitutional rights and promote commonsense, conservative values,” said Governor Pillen. “I appreciate the hard work of those senators who supported this legislation, and particularly that of Sen. Brewer who led this charge and carried it through to the end.”

 “Nebraskans should not have to pay the government a fee or ask permission for constitutional rights,” said Senator Brewer. “This bill finally delivers on the promises in Nebraska and United States constitutions. I am proud to help Nebraska join twenty-six of our sister states in removing this obstacle to the right to keep and bear arms.”

 A video of the bill signing can be found here and photos are below.

 

New Law Bans Foreign Entities From Purchasing Montana Land

Foreign entities will no longer be allowed to purchase or lease land in Montana beginning later this year.

Gov. Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 203 on Thursday that the bans land purchases by what it refers to as “foreign adversaries,” defined as “any foreign government or foreign non government person determined by the U.S. secretary of commerce to have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States …”

The governor’s office identified China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela in a news release about signing the legislation.

“Montana will not stand idly by as foreign adversaries buy up our farmland, harvest private data, and spy on Americans,” Gianforte said. “Today, we’re doing what the Biden administration won’t to defend our economic security, food security, and national security assets.”

“From the spy balloon to CCP-linked companies buying American farmland to the Chinese Communist Party spying on Americans through TikTok, now is the time for bold, decisive action to defend our national interests,” the governor added. “If the federal government won’t protect America from Communist China and hostile adversaries, Montana will.”

Republican-led states such as Louisiana and Texas, as well as some Republicans in Congress, are pushing similar proposals to bar foreign interest from purchasing farmland in the U.S.

New Georgia Law Targets Left-Wing Prosecutors

The Peach State is joining the chorus of states that have had enough of soft-on-crime prosecutors. On Friday, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) signed a bill into law that creates a commission to discipline and potentially remove prosecutors who don’t do their jobs.

“I am not going to stand idly by as rogue or incompetent prosecutors refuse to uphold the law,” Kemp said at the signing ceremony in Savannah, Ga. “Today we are sending a message that we will not forfeit public safety for prosecutors to let criminals off the hook.”

Georgia isn’t alone, of course. The Associated Press reports that Georgia’s new law joins “pushes to remove prosecutors in Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, as well as broader disputes nationwide over how certain criminal offenses should be charged.”

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Oklahoma Governor Signed Two Important Second Amendment Bills: Boat Carry and Constitutional Carry Cleanup

Recently, Governor Kevin Stitt, signed two important pieces of legislation that uphold our Second Amendment rights.

Firstly, Senate Bill 978, also known as the Boat Carry Bill, has been signed into law. This bill recognizes individuals right to carry a firearm on a boat as long as they are legally allowed to possess a firearm. This is a significant victory for those who enjoy recreational boating and want to exercise their right to self-defense.

Secondly, House Bill 1789, also known as the Constitutional Carry Cleanup Bill, has been signed into law. This bill clarifies language in the existing constitutional carry law and ensures that law-abiding citizens can carry a firearm without unnecessary government permission slips. This is crucial in protecting our Second Amendment rights and ensuring that law-abiding citizens are not unjustly prosecuted for exercising their right to bear arms.

NRA applauds Governor Stitt and the Oklahoma Legislature for taking bold steps to protect our Second Amendment rights. These new laws are a victory for all Oklahomans who believe in the fundamental right to self-defense and the right to bear arms.

Thank you for your continued support of the Second Amendment.

17 gun restriction bills flounder at Georgia Capitol

ATLANTA — This year, the Georgia legislature mostly ignored 17 gun restriction bills – including bills that would have limited access to guns for folks with mental health issues.

The 17 gun restriction bills were introduced by Democrats. The capitol is run by Republicans, who have expanded, not restricted, gun rights.

When police converged on the Northside Medical building in Midtown Atlanta Wednesday in an attempt to take down a mass shooter – and ordered people nearby to shelter in place – one of them was state Sen. Josh McLaurin (D-Atlanta), who was having lunch.

McLaurin said after taking stock of the mass shooting, the injuries and death, and the danger inherent in the ongoing manhunt, he took stock of the Georgia politics that he says enables gun violence.

“Frustration is the right word,” McLaurin told 11Alive Thursday. “This is a policy decision. We are choosing to live like this. There are common-sense gun safety, sensible regulations legislation that we could pass.”

In 2023, Democrats introduced bills ranging from requiring background checks and waiting periods to safe storage of firearms, to red flag laws limiting firearms for people who may have mental health issues.

Republicans didn’t allow a vote for any of them, even in committee.

Vernon Lee, a longtime capitol lobbyist and gun rights backer, said the problem isn’t an absence of gun restrictions – it’s an absence of stiff law enforcement.

“There should be swifter, stricter punishment [for gun crimes],” Lee said.  “There are laws on the books (that say) these are the ramifications if you do that. Some of those ramifications have not been enforced enough to curtail gun violence.”

McLaurin said he’s heard that far too much.

“The public that want commonsense gun reform are being blocked by, again, a tiny minority of people who are characterizing any reasonable attempt at sensible legislation as repealing the second amendment. And it’s BS,” McLaurin said.

All those gun bills are still technically in play during next year’s legislative session. But by all but ignoring them this year, Republicans spoke volumes about their interest in advancing them next year.