Shield Nation: The 2A News You Need to Know

Seeing taxpayer dollars put to good use! The Etowah County Sheriff’s Office used a budgetary surplus to purchase 15 gun safes for school resource officers in the county. The safes are part of an effort to increase school safety for students and faculties, says Sheriff Jonathon Horton.

The entire State of Arizona could become a Second Amendment sanctuary. A number of lawmakers are behind another push to keep state resources from assisting any federal activity they consider contrary to the Second Amendment.

State Senator Bob Ballinger—whose Stand Your Ground bill recently passed through the Senate—has filed another Second Amendment bill. SB59, entitled “The Intrastate Firearms Protections Act,” seeks to prohibit enforcement of federal anti-gun laws passed after January 1, 2021, and to prohibit any federal regulation of firearms manufactured in Arkansas with Arkansas materials.

A family-owned souvenir shop that sells non-firing replicas of 18th and 19th century firearms was abruptly kicked off the payment platform Square, which is owned by the founder of Twitter. The shop’s business allegedly violated “Section 3 of the Payment Terms and/or Section 4 of the General Terms” which prohibit businesses from selling weapons using Square.

Christopher Ward, a California lawmaker, has introduced legislation that would prohibit the sale and purchase of firearm precursor parts—generally referred to as 80% lowers—at California gun shows. These unserialized lowers are commonly bought, built, and assembled by firearms enthusiasts. So far, four states have enacted laws banning gun-part sales like this.

Representatives in Colorado introduced at least three pieces of gun control legislation in the 2021 session. U.S. LawShield Independent Program Attorney Drew Eddy says, “These bills focus on regulating firearm storage, creating reporting requirements for lost and stolen firearms, and imposing a mandatory waiting period between purchase and receipt of a firearm.”

Proposed legislation in Connecticut would expand red flag laws. The existing statute permits state prosecutors or two police officers to apply for civil warrants to seize guns and ammunition from people who are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. The proposed legislation would expand the list to allow relatives, household members, and medical professionals to also petition the court, and would make seizure orders indefinite.

State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest has proposed a bill to impose a tax on ammunition, the third time she’s done so. This year’s version calls for a 2-cent tax on .22 caliber ammunition, and a 5-cent tax on all calibers higher than .22.

Strong preemption laws help protect gun rights—but they’re in danger in Florida, where two legislators have introduced a bill that would gut Florida’s preemption law to let “elected officials pass common sense gun laws in their communities.”

Florida State Senator Gary Farmer introduced a bill that would, if passed, ban so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.” SB 370 is modeled after and goes further than the Clinton-era gun ban of the ‘90s, and includes numerous anti-gun provisions that would ban many of the most commonly owned firearms in the state and limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds.

A pro-Second Amendment resolution was adopted in Union County during a recent commission meeting. Interestingly, the county chose not to use the word “sanctuary” in the resolution—but there are calls to change this, as some residents believe the term “sanctuary county” carries more weight with the federal government. The resolution says that it’s a Constitutional right for people to “keep and bear arms.” It also cites the Georgia Constitution, which prohibits the state from infringing on that right.

“When, not if.” That’s the question when it comes to Second Amendment sanctuaries, for many municipalities. Gooding and Hagerman are the latest to join the growing list of municipalities that are putting their foot down on the importance of the right to bear arms.

Will Iowa amend its state constitution to enshrine the right to keep and bear arms? Senate Joint Resolution 7 is a bill that would amend Article I of the Iowa Constitution, giving Iowans a state version of the Second Amendment. As the measure has already passed the state’s General Assembly, it will now go to the voters in the 2022 general election.

House Bill 2095 would prevent individuals who’ve been diagnosed with severe mental illness from owning or buying guns until they finish treatment and prove their competence to a judge. Backers of the bill argue it closes a loophole in the law, while opponents argue that there is no “loophole” to close—federal law already prohibits those who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution or declared mentally incompetent from owning firearms.

Half as many people had their guns confiscated under red flag laws in Massachusetts last year as compared to the previous year—the first year such laws were in effect across the state. Neither those in support of nor against the red flag laws understand why there has been a decline.

The State of Michigan recently introduced a ban on open carry on the grounds of its capitol building. Now the governor is asking for $5 million in taxpayer dollars to enforce this ban. The money would presumably go toward metal detectors and inspections at the entrances to the capitol building.

During a livestreamed county commission meeting, Grand Traverse County Commissioner Ron Clous displayed a rifle in response to a county resident’s criticism. Now there’s a local petition calling for him to resign, or at least publicly apologize for holding up a gun during a government meeting.

While Minneapolis continues to struggle with police reform, violent crime across the city has skyrocketed. According to the Minneapolis Police Department, 2020 saw more than 375 violent carjackings—a type of crime that was previously so rare, the MPD didn’t even track it.

Second Amendment sanctuary states look like they’re going to be the hot trend of 2021! When introducing the Second Amendment Preservation Act in the Missouri State Senate, Sen. Eric Burlison voiced his concern about the potential for new federal restrictions on the right to bear arms. “It is time that Missouri take[s] a stand to prevent these dangerous laws from harming our Missourians.”

A huge victory for the Second Amendment in Montana! House Bill 102, a major firearms bill that includes constitutional carry and campus carry, has been signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte. After struggling to pass reform legislation for several years, the Montana Legislature appears to have learned a lesson from other states that have fought to advance the right to keep and bear arms.

Will there be more gun restrictions in Nevada? A report written by the Institute for a Progressive Nevada recommends six changes to Nevada’s gun laws—including the end of classifying gun stores as “essential businesses,” banning “assault weapons” and “high-capacity magazines,” requiring a license for firearm ownership, and more.

Jimenez Arms was sued last year on allegations of violating the Gun Control Act—specifically that the company was mailing guns across state lines to non-FFL gun traffickers. The company declared bankruptcy and changed its name to JA Industries; now the ATF is being sued for failing to properly investigate before granting JA Industries a new Federal Firearms License.

Not every New York politician takes the anti-gun stance! U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik from Schuylerville, NY, is co-sponsoring H.R. 38, which would establish nationwide concealed carry reciprocity.

New State Rep. Mike Loychik has introduced legislation that would affirm the power of states’ rights over the federal government under the 10th Amendment. “Members of the Ohio General Assembly and the U.S. Congress have a duty to uphold the rights of citizens around this country,” Loychik said. “This includes the freedoms granted to us under the Second Amendment of our Constitution. This bill ensures prioritizing the protection of law-abiding Ohioans’ right to keep and bear arms.”

Oklahoma joins the rising tide of states attempting to become Second Amendment sanctuaries. In response to fears of federal gun control, State Sen. Warren Hamilton filed a bill in the Oklahoma Senate to establish “state preemption of federal infringement of Second Amendment rights.”

“He believed it was necessary for him to do what he did at the time,” said Erie County District Attorney Jack Daneri. He’s speaking about the recent shooting that occurred at a Pennsylvania gun range, where a 67-year-old man shot and killed Robert A. Eppley Jr. after Eppley abruptly opened fire on his shooting partner. Upon clearing the “good guy with the gun” of any charges, the DA elaborated “[t]he only thing unfortunately for everyone is that we don’t have an answer to why Mr. Eppley did what he did.”

Federal background checks for firearm purchases hit record highs in Pennsylvania and across the nation, continuing a trend of increased checks coinciding with presidential election years. In the state of Pennsylvania, 1.4 million firearm background checks were completed in 2020—a 47 percent increase over 2019.

People are buying guns and ammunition “faster than they can make it,” says Texas gun store owner Chris Mayhall. As the owner of Intrepid Shooting Sports in Fort Worth, Mayhall has seen firearms and ammo fly off the shelves. He said that manufacturers have told him they have enough orders to fill the next three years of production.

Do firearms have a place in public demonstrations? For this legislative session, a Texas State Senator has filed SB 311—a bill that would prohibit the open carry or display of firearms within 500 feet of one or more persons who are part of a public demonstration.

Utah has become a constitutional carry state! After House Bill 60 passed the Utah Senate and House, the legislation was signed into law by Governor Spencer Cox. The new law specifies that those who carry concealed weapons must be over 21 and legally allowed to possess a firearm; it goes into effect May 5.

Vermont State Senator Phil Baruth introduced a bill (S. 30) that would ban firearms in hospitals, child-care facilities, and publicly owned buildings. However, there’s a good chance the proposed bill won’t get the votes it needs to make it to the floor of the Vermont Senate.

Hundreds of Second Amendment advocates gathered in Richmond for the state’s annual Lobby Day, an event that gives voters the opportunity to directly interact with their legislators and lobby for legislation. The state capitol was braced for unrest, but the law-abiding gun owners were exactly that: law-abiding.