Weekly Spotlight 4/28/23 – 5/4/23
Two More States Joining the Majority of the Country in Constitutional Carry
As we recently highlighted on the blog, the majority of states now recognize the right of law-abiding gun owners to carry without first needing a permit from the government. Florida became the 26th state to do so earlier this month, as we see momentum for constitutional carry continuing to build all over the country.
On April 19, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill to implement constitutional carry with a vote of 33-14. Despite a 14-hour filibuster from gun control advocates who were misleading the public about what the bill does, constitutional carry prevailed and Governor Jim Pillen signed the bill this past Tuesday. The law will go into effect this summer.
In addition to the Cornhusker State, South Carolina is rapidly moving toward implementing constitutional carry. The bill in question currently sits in committee and will soon be voted on by the full South Carolina Senate.
Constitutional carry might have been unthinkable in many states a mere ten years ago, but thanks to the tireless efforts of Second Amendment advocates and those who believe in the inherent right to self-defense, it’s become a reality. State legislatures agree that law-abiding gun owners shouldn’t need a permission slip from the government in order to recognize a clear-cut, constitutional right.
With that said, education and training are still vital if you’re going to carry a concealed firearm. Responsible gun owners know that exercising a right does not eliminate personal responsibility. That’s why there is record high demand for firearms training courses across the country, including in states that have eliminated the permit requirement for concealed carry.
Momentum is on the side of those who respect the right to self-defense and understand that the extra red tape of a government permit is not necessary for responsible gun owners. We know that concealed carry saves lives, so it’s great to see so many states standing up to make it easier for law-abiding Americans to carry!
Visit our newsroom to get more of the latest Second Amendment developments.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Steve Dettelbach came under fire on Tuesday for once again failing to provide a definition to the term “assault weapon” despite leading the government agency dealing with firearms. Dettelbach appeared before a House Appropriations subcommittee where he was questioned by Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Texas, to define an assault weapon. “As a gun owner of many different types and a 20-year military veteran, I have some expertise in weaponry and self-defense weapons. In 15 seconds, would you define an ‘assault weapon’ for me?” Ellzey asked.
- Washington Examiner: House Democrats Pushing For Gun Control Say They Know They Face A Losing Battle
House Democrats have slim hope that the onslaught of mass shootings and school shootings in 2023 will push their colleagues across the aisle to pass stricter gun control laws. Some of Congress’s most adamant gun reformers are facing facts that last month’s school shooting in Nashville, where three children and three adults were shot and killed by a gunman, may not be enough to push Republicans toward stronger checks on firearms and restrictions on who can buy them. Democrats are basing their losing battle on the inaction of Republicans after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in which a single gunman killed 26 people, 20 of them being students.
- Must Read Alaska: Alaska House Passes Rauscher’s Gun Reciprocity Resolution
The Alaska House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution 3, urging Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act or a similar bill. The resolution requests that Congress pass legislation allowing individuals with valid concealed carry permits from one state to lawfully carry a concealed firearm in another state to the same degree that an individual with a valid permit from that state can do so.
A subcommittee of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners has forwarded a resolution reaffirming its stance on Second Amendment protections, encouraging the county sheriff and prosecutor not to enforce gun control laws they deem unconstitutional. Livingston County has been a so-called Second Amendment “sanctuary” since the county board passed a 2020 resolution. The newly proposed resolution, which the full board is expected to adopt at a future meeting, declares Livingston a “constitutional county” that will not fund any new program that “restricts” rights afforded by the U.S. Constitution and Michigan State Constitution.
###