West Virginia Legislature – 2022 Regular Session HB4048
Nicknamed the “WV Keep, Bear and Drive with Arms Act,” House Bill 4048 was passed by the West Virginia Legislature and signed by Governor Jim Justice on March 9, 2022.
Gun Laws in Colorado: An Interview with Douglas I. Richards and Drew R. Eddy of Richards Carrington, LLC
Gun Laws regulating self-defense and the use of firearms are complicated (sometimes by design) and can vary widely from state to state. As a self-defense minded person who cares about the rule of law and protecting yourself and your family, it’s important to be up to date on all the laws that apply to you, including federal, state, or local. In order to help streamline this process, U.S. LawShield® is collaborating with experienced lawyers in the field of self-defense to produce a book of relevant gun laws for each state.
Gun Laws in Virginia: An Interview with Gilbert Ambler of Ambler Law Offices, LLC
Gun laws regarding the use of firearms and self-defense are
Gun Laws in Florida: An Interview with David S. Katz and James D. Phillips of Katz and Phillips, P.A.
This time, we sat down with David S. Katz and James D. Phillips who co-wrote the book, Florida Gun Law: Armed And Educated. Join us as we talk a bit about the subject of that book and what makes gun laws in Florida unique.
Gun Laws in Texas: An Interview with T. Edwin Walker, Emily William Taylor, and Richard D. Hayes III of Walker-Taylor, PLLC
We sat down with T. Edwin Walker, Emily William Taylor, and Richard D. Hayes III who co-wrote Texas Gun Law: Armed And Educated. Join us as we talk a bit about the subject of that book and what makes Texas gun laws unique.
Utah Now Has Pretrial Self-Defense Hearings
On May 5, 2021, Utah HB 227 went into effect, in part because of the testimony of a defendant charged with seven counts of felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony. The new law triggers a pretrial, judge-only hearing process once a defendant alleges he or she was acting in self-defense or defense of others.
911 Calls: Do’s, Don’ts, and the Law
“If I had more bullets, I would have shot them all again and again.” Those words were spoken by Bernie Goetz on December 31, 1984, during an interview with local law enforcement in Concord, New Hampshire. Goetz is perhaps best known by the name the media gave him at that time: The Subway Vigilante. He’d shot four young men he felt threatened him while he rode the subway.
New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen
New York had a law that prohibited adults from generally carrying a firearm (including a concealed handgun) upon their person in New York without a state-issued license. These licenses were only issued upon proof of “good moral character” and “proper cause.” This is frequently referred to as a “may issue” licensing scheme, which is not based on objective criteria.
Idaho’s SB 1262 Protects Firearms, Ammo, and Concealed Carry
Senate Bill 1262, signed by Governor Brad Little on February 25, 2022, will go into effect on July 1, 2022. This legislation amends Idaho Code § 46-1008 to expressly protect concealed weapons licenses, firearms, ammunition, and components during declarations of “disaster emergencies.” These changes were spurred by the actions of state and local governments during disasters such the COVID-19 pandemic and response.
Colorado’s New “Vote Without Fear Act”
On March 30, 2022, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law the “Vote Without Fear Act,” which generally makes it unlawful to openly carry a firearm at or near any polling location in Colorado during an election. Proponents argue this new law is intended to prevent voter intimidation at the polls and other locations where voters cast a ballot. Opponents argue the new law essentially requires law-abiding gun owners to forgo one constitutional right (the Second Amendment) in order to exercise another (the right to vote).