Weekly Spotlight 1/28 – 2/3/23
Legislation to Prevent “Boardroom Gun Control” Introduced in Congress
Attempts to restrict Americans’ Second Amendment rights take a variety of shapes and sizes. There are blanket bans on so-called “assault weapons,” which gun control proponents can rarely define. There are local governments that let massive backlogs of concealed carry permit applications pile up, keeping law-abiding citizens waiting for unreasonable amounts of time.
Then there are the less visible maneuvers that we often see conducted through financial institutions and other large corporations which are designed to cripple day-to-day operations of firearms businesses and associations. This ultimately makes it harder for everyday Americans to exercise their God-given right to self-defense. Fortunately, the new House majority in Congress is well aware of this discrimination perpetrated on the firearm industry – often encouraged by more powerful anti-gun proponents – and are working to stop it in its tracks.
Earlier this month, Representative Jack Bergman (MI-01) introduced the Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination (FIND) Act (H.R. 53), which is a necessary bill to rein in companies and financial institutions that engage in what’s been coined as “boardroom gun control.” This bill would “prevent any businesses that discriminate against firearm businesses or associations from contracting or subcontracting with the federal government – ensuring that federal funding is not used to further these harmful policies.”
From forcing restrictions on the products firearms retailers can sell to outright refusing to provide basic services for pro-Second Amendment associations, some financial institutions have blatantly overstepped their bounds. Their policies have restricted access to legal firearms well beyond the democratically-established laws at state and federal levels. This cannot stand.
We encourage you to lend your voice to this fight and ask your Representative to PASS the FIND Act! .
Send a letter to your representative and urge them to pass the FIND Act.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
- Townhall (Op-Ed by USCCA-FSL Executive Director and Chairman of the Board Mike Lowney): The New House Majority Holds Promise of Strengthening Our Right to Self-Defense
Over the last several years, record numbers of Americans from all walks of life have chosen to become their family’s primary line of defense by purchasing a firearm for the first time. FBI background checks totaled 31.5 million in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for 2022, which included over 16 million gun sales. This made 2022 the third highest on record over the last 24 years, just behind 2020 and 2021.
- Fox News: Illinois sheriff refuses to enforce new gun control law: ‘Clear violation of the 2nd Amendment’
DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick has come under attack from Illinois state lawmakers after he issued a statement refusing to enforce a gun control law in favor of his higher oath to the U.S. Constitution. Mendrick, who has worked in the sheriff’s office for “26 years” and was elected Sheriff of DuPage County, Illinois in 2018, according to his official profile. DuPage County borders Cook County, home of Chicago. Chicago is one of the most violent cities in the country and also one of the strictest on gun control. However, it was Mendrick’s Jan. 13 letter — in which he argued that a recently passed gun control law was unconstitutional — that has made him a target of Democrats and gun control advocates in his state.
- Washington Examiner: Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont seeks to ban open carry as he cracks down on gun violence
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signaled a crackdown on gun violence Monday, seeking to place restrictions on open carry and gun purchases. Lamont announced the first in what he calls “a series” of proposals looking to end gun violence during a press conference on Monday. He plans to introduce them at the start of the state’s legislative session, per a release.
- The Epoch Times: Florida Supreme Court Upholds State Law Banning Local Governments From Restricting Gun Sales
The Florida Supreme Court on Jan. 19 upheld a state law banning local governments from implementing restrictions on the sale of guns and ammunition. Under Florida law passed in 1987, cities and counties are not allowed to create restrictions on guns that are stricter than state law, also known as “preemption” of local gun laws. Those who do risk stiff penalties of up to $5,000 under a 2011 addition to the law, while those harmed by the unlawful ordinance can sue the local government for up to $100,000 in damages.