Blog 10/30/22

Weekly Spotlight 10/24-10/30/22


States Attempt to Regulate Guns Out of Existence, But Will These Measures Have Success at the Polls?

In the June 6-3 Supreme Court decision, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Justices struck down a longstanding New York law that prevents legal concealed carry outside one’s home and deemed that guns could be restricted to “sensitive locations,” though the term was largely undefined by the justices.

Since then, anti-gun state lawmakers in New York have been working overtime to undermine this  ruling in order to push forward their own agenda.  While all eyes have been on New York where Governor Kathy Hochul is working to defy the SCOTUS ruling with the “Concealed Carry Improvement Act” (CCIA), the U.S. Concealed Carry Association For Saving Lives also has its eye on another state this week: Oregon.

While the race to flip the Governor’s seat red heats up just a couple weeks out from Election Day, voters will also face a pivotal question in the ballot box as it relates to their right to self-defense, and that is voting on what is considered one of the strictest gun laws in the nation, the “Reduction of Gun Violence Act.”

According to Fox News, this bill will:

  • Ban large capacity magazines over 10 rounds — except for current owners, law enforcement and the military — and require a permit for all gun purchases. Applicants would only qualify for a permit if they complete an approved firearm safety course that includes a review of state and federal laws and a demonstration before a certified instructor that the applicant can properly lock, load, unload, fire, and store a gun.
  • Subject permit applicants to a fee of up to $65. All applicants would also have to pass a criminal background check and a subjective permit agent would have to determine that the applicant does not “pose a danger to themselves or others based on their mental state or past behavior.”
  • Create a firearms database through the state police and applicants would be fingerprinted and photographed.
  • Make permits valid for five years only.

Not only are pro-Second Amendment groups against this measure, but left-leaning groups are also voicing their opposition.  

This is just one example of many ongoing debates around overly restrictive and borderline unconstitutional policies that state lawmakers are looking to pass.  It’s also a perfect example of just how important it is for law-abiding gun owners to get out and vote in this upcoming election. 

Check out other news we are tracking at the state-level that you may have missed below.

Stay updated with this issue and others by visiting our website and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook so you stay an informed gun owner.

OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

New Jersey Monitor: New York Court Rulings Signal Trouble For New Jersey’s Fresh Attempt To Regulate Guns

As Democratic lawmakers race to approve new gun regulations here in New Jersey, observers say federal decisions on New York’s new gun law signal the Garden State may have trouble proving its new restrictions are constitutional. The fast-tracked bill — which would prohibit guns in about 25 “sensitive places” and create hurdles for people seeking gun licenses — already got a thumbs-up from two Assembly committees last week, is scheduled for another committee vote Monday, and is expected to go before the full Assembly and the Senate’s law and public safety committee for votes on Thursday.

WCNC NBC: 7,600 Concealed Carry Permit Applications Waiting To Be Processed In Mecklenburg

If you are looking to get a concealed carry permit in Mecklenburg County you can expect a long wait time because there are thousands of applications still waiting to be processed. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office said they are doing everything they can to get permits issued but the delay isn’t with their office. They cite medical offices, including Veteran’s Affairs, with the delay.

WKBW ABC: Why Pastors Want Concealed Carry In Houses Of Worship

A temporary victory for two local pastors who filed a lawsuit against New York State’s new gun law.  “I’ll tell people when they come to church — lock the door because we don’t know,” explained Jimmie Hardaway, pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Niagara Falls. Thursday a federal judge in Buffalo issued an order to temporarily blocked the law that prohibited concealed carry in ‘houses of worship’. “There’s a lot African American pastors that are concerned — most pastors that I’ve spoken to — many did have permits —  many do,” responded Jimmie Hardaway, pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Niagara Falls.  Pastor Hardaway is one of two plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the state’s new gun law that prevents him from carrying a concealed weapon into his church.

Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: Most Likely Voters Want To Add Right ‘To Keep And Bear Arms’ To Iowa Constitution

A majority of likely voters say they would support a proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would add the right “to keep and bear arms” — and go beyond the protections contained in the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment — if the election were held today. A new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll found 58% of likely voters plan to vote for the proposed amendment in the Nov. 8 midterm election. Thirty-seven percent of likely voters would vote against it, and another 6% are not sure.

Fox News: Washington Senate: Murray Calls For Gun Control After Being Accused Of Being Soft On Crime During Debate

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was put on the defensive during her debate with Republican Tiffany Smiley, who took aim at the incumbent senator’s record on crime amid a surge in crime across the country. “We have a crime crisis in Washington state… crime is on the rise everywhere,” Smiley said.during Sunday’s debate, which comes just over a week before next month’s midterm election’s. “My opponent, Senator Murray… she went on the Senate floor and she called for funds to be diverted from our police force. And then she disappeared and she went into hiding.” “Our cities are being destroyed by crime, our police are not being supported,” Smiley continued. “In addition to the crime, we have fentanyl all over our streets… we’re allowing a humanitarian crisis to unfold right before our eyes, we’re allowing people to poison themselves to death, and we do nothing.”