Act Immediately to Block ATF Long Gun Sales Reporting!
Feb 14th
If you’re one of the nearly 71 million Americans who live in the four southwest border states, some of your gun purchases could soon be reported to the federal government. And whether you live in one of those states or elsewhere, your help is needed now to stop the federal government’s plan to register Americans’ gun purchases.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is demanding the authority to require all of the 8,500 firearm dealers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to report all sales of two or more semiautomatic rifles within five consecutive business days, if the rifles are larger than .22 caliber and use detachable magazines. For example, a dealer would have to tell the government every time a deer hunter in Sacramento or Amarillo finds a good deal on a pair of semi-auto .30-06s like the popular Remington 7400. More >
Feinstein Asks President To Tighten Import Restrictions On Semi-Automatic Rifles
Feb 7th
On Tuesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sent a letter to President Barack Obama, urging him to have the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives review its interpretation of the federal law that provides for the importation of firearms “generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.” Adopting a narrower interpretation of the law would, Feinstein claimed, help reduce violence in Mexico and the United States.
As the Supreme Court said in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms primarily for self-defense. This means the “sporting purposes” limitation imposed by the Gun Control Act of 1968 is constitutionally suspect, to put it mildly. What makes matters worse is that BATFE repeatedly misinterprets the law to serve political ends, which is precisely what Feinstein has in mind. More >
Obama To Push Gun Control Soon
Jan 31st
To the dismay of the Brady Campaign and other gun ban groups, President Barack Obama didn’t address gun control during his State of the Union address on January 25th. However, Newsweek reports that “in the next two weeks, the White House will unveil a new gun-control effort,” and that the White House confirms, “Obama will address the gun issue in a separate speech, likely early next month.” According to Newsweek, Obama believes that gun laws have been “too loose for much longer than just the past few weeks” following the murders in Tucson, Arizona. More >
Utah Lawmakers Propose M1911 as Official State Gun
Jan 27th
SALT LAKE CITY – State lawmakers are debating whether to designate a semiautomatic pistol as the official gun of Utah, despite protests from people who believe it’s inappropriate because of recent mass shootings.
The bill to make the Browning M1911 the official gun breezed through a committee hearing this week and is scheduled to be debated by the full House as early as Wednesday.
Republican Rep. Carl Wimmer said the state should have the gun as one of its state symbols to honor John Browning, a Utah native who invented it in 1911. More >
McCarthy Bill Would Ban Common Self-Defense Magazines
Jan 24th
On Tuesday, Jan. 18, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 308, the “Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act.” The bill would ban the manufacture and importation of new magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Unlike the magazine ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004, her new bill would also make it illegal for the tens of millions of Americans who already own these magazines to sell or otherwise transfer them, even through inheritance. More >
Arizona Rampage Reignites Gun Control Debate in D.C.
Jan 21st
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., is a longtime gun owner and has often spoken out in support of broad Second Amendment rights. However, the tragic attack on Giffords that left six dead and 14 wounded is reigniting the debate over gun ownership in America.
In 2008 and 2009, Giffords signed on to briefs to the Supreme Court urging justices to overturn gun control laws that severely restricted the access of those who sought to purchase and own firearms. In both cases, the court ruled to roll back the restrictions. At the time, Giffords noted the “long tradition” of gun ownership in the United States adding, “It is a tradition which every law-abiding citizen should be able to enjoy.” More >
Gun Control Measures Don’t Stop Violence
Jan 21st
Editor’s note: Robert A. Levy is chairman of the Cato Institute. He served as co-counsel to the plaintiffs in District of Columbia v. Heller, the successful Supreme Court challenge to Washington’s handgun ban.
(CNN) — Against the horrific backdrop of the Tucson, Arizona, tragedy, new gun control proposals are on the way. Some of our legislators will be tempted to apply Rahm Emanuel’s aphorism, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
For example, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-New York, wants to outlaw magazines with more than 10 rounds — even those already in circulation. She hasn’t explained how a ban on previously sold magazines would deter anyone but law-abiding citizens. More >
Gun-Rights Advocates Want to Allow Arlington Teachers to Carry Guns
Nov 3rd
ARLINGTON — Should teachers and administrators be allowed to carry concealed weapons to school?
Two local gun-rights activists plan to bring the national debate sparked by recent high-profile shootings to the Arlington school board meeting tonight.
David McElwee and Bill Sandlin, members of the National Rifle Association, said they will make their case to trustees that school shootings are too unpredictable to prevent by beefing up security forces or technology. More >
