This week looked to be a slow one, then on Wednesday things kicked off. Some good, some bad, some silly. Let’s take a look.
State Supremacy – Dueling Sovereigns
A Louisiana bill advanced to the state capitol on Thursday to prevent municipal governments from writing gun laws stricter than what the state provides. The bill passed the House 68-30. This bill is in the breed of state supremacy provisions, which are common in the United States. It basically prevents anti-gun localities from making landmines of their cities for gun owners traveling through them.
As a gun owner who lived in the DC-metropolitan area for years, I can tell you how nightmarish it can be dealing with different state laws, much less municipal ones. Having to make sure no shell casings fell into your trunk after a range day in Virginia before heading into DC for work is a harrowing enough experience, so it makes sense to limit that nightmare as much as possible. Nobody should have to think about what cities they pass through if they’re headed to a shooting competition, or otherwise.
State supremacy provisions, by the way, are what made Pittsburgh’s city gun control omnibus illegal. On that, Pittsburgh agreed on Tuesday not to enforce those new restrictions as various suits against the city progress.
On the other side of the coin, Nevada finally saw an attempt to allow stricter local gun laws peter out. Democratic Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui on Friday gutted her own gun bill under pressure from Everytown for Gun Safety, of all organizations, to amend the bill and focus instead on pushing a red flag law. It seems there will be more to see in Nevada.
Ohio Dems Tighten Down on Loosening Carry Restrictions
Ohio lawmakers have been considering whether to remove a blanket ban on carrying firearms onto college campuses, among other specific buildings, and to allow anyone 21 and over, who is legally allowed to own a gun, carry them. On Wednesday, students from Ohio schools described to state lawmakers how scarring school lockdown drills have been since they were implemented post-Columbine. That’s an interesting way to oppose liberalizing gun law: by voicing how horribly the state has responded to the threat of gun violence. The students have a point. Lockdown drills have not proven to be effective, and their regular practice has made the public school experience ever-more prison-like. I’m not sure how preventing law-abiding Ohioans from carrying makes that any better, though.
Not Even in the EU, the Swiss Bend to Brussels
In a particularly disheartening move, Swiss voters agreed last Sunday to tighten their gun laws to match those in EU “anti-terrorism” legislation. Interestingly, the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland was the only one to reject the initiative by percentage. Switzerland has maintained a deep heritage and tradition of marksmanship for hundreds of years, developing some of the finest arms and techniques the world has come to know.
However, the Swiss were faced with a difficult choice: keep the gun culture intact, or keep the highly economically beneficial membership in the Schengen area. This change, and what is ultimately to follow, will likely chill Swiss marksmanship culture over the coming generations, though major effect will be unlikely to show right away.
CT Approves Safe Storage Measure
Connecticut saw “Ethan’s law,” a requirement that all firearms be kept locked away if a child might be in a home, pass the Senate on Thursday. It now heads to the governor’s desk, who is expected to sign it.
A similar version is being introduced by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro for nationwide application, but is unlikely to go anywhere. Safety around children is no joke, and must be taken very seriously. A loaded firearm should never be kept in a condition where an untrained child might get access to it. However, a gun locked away isn’t useful in the unfortunate situation where it might be needed. The broad-stroke language of these laws makes criminals out of people who seek to keep their homes safe when all else fails.
New Hampshire Mini Omnibus Gun Bill Passes
The New Hampshire senate passed three gun control bills on Thursday, all by a 13-10 vote. One requires a three-day waiting period for all firearm purchases, another makes it a misdemeanor to possess a firearm in a “safe school zone,” and the final requires background checks for all commercial firearm transactions. The waiting period law is aimed at suicide prevention.
I thought Switzerland rejected membership in the EU strange that they would allow them to dictate policies concerning firearms… Hmmmmmm
“Schengen” EU free trade zone.
William Tell is now a serf to sell his cheese…
Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but no country is an economic island.
The countries that Switzerland trades with locally are EU members, and the EU is using economic blackmail to push Switzerland into enacting EU-style laws in order to continue trading.
$$$ rules all
After 800 years the Swiss have bowed to the Hapsburg Governor’s hat on a pole.
Wow!
They bowed to the banking laws a few years ago. They report what you have to your government, whomever that may be. Do the Cayman Islands report now too?
Maybe Gessler’s hat on a pole will pop up in towns all across Switzerland.
Nothing passed in ILLinois-yet. It’ll suck when it does…the FFL’s are pizzing & moaning with draconian regulations. For the chillen’😩
Go to the GSL meeting Sunday. May be news.
AB 291 in NV is not dead. No amendments have been offered, and it was granted a waiver so it can still be acted upon despite it failing to advance out of the second chamber (the Senate in this case). It is still very much in play and VERY dangerous. We have less than 10 days for the legislative session, so we are almost through this, but the Dems can still try to sneak things through at the last second. All NV residents here need to contact their state senators, reps, and that fat sack of crap Sisolak to demand that AB291 dies.
New Hampshire used to be the “Live Free or Die” state. Now, not so much.
“New Hampshire used to be the “Live Free or Die” state.”
Oh, it most certainly still is.
Unfortunately for you, they’d prefer it if you just died and saved them the trouble of taking care of it for you…
Governor Sununu has said he will veto these bills. They have not been passed with veto-proof majorities, so there is still hope.
Is that the same John Sununu that was in the Bush administration? Was it Ag Secretary?
It’s his son, I think. better conservatives than the Bushs ever were.
Oregon’s red flag law passed. So now you can have your collection scooped away without due process. These are the laws that will be abused the most. I saw it in .ost divorce cases when I liked in MA. The first thing the future ex-wife did was a restraining order which put their future ex-husband’s balls in a vise. No guns, no access to their children, and false claims of violated the restraining order were part for the course.
The police are our friends though, right? They surely wouldn’t enforce such blatantly asinine and illegal firearms laws, would they? It’s a fucking wonder more cops aren’t getting shot after destroying someone’s life by enforcing these onerous and unconstitutional restrictions. We need more sheriffs like David Clarke, that understands the illegality of such laws and their oath to the founding document.
Then why don’t YOU become a police officer and show us all how it SHOULD be done? Put up or shut up.
Nobody has to show anyone how it SHOULD be done. All LE has to do is stand down and do nothing when it comes to these laws. I’m not exactly sure how to show someone how to do nothing. For most of us, it comes naturally.
But they have families and don’t want to lose their jobs. Did the Berkley and Portland, Ore. cops stand down because they wanted to, or because they didn’t want to get fired? (I’m not a cop or cheerleader ) Just wondering…………anyone?
Do you really want to have to wonder if the cop next to you is about to plant evidence on you so you take a fall after enforcing this blatantly unconstitutional BS?
Do you really want to wonder if your fellows will answer your next call for backup or just wait to see it they can feed you to the wolves?
Do you really want to wonder if, when the shooting starts, some of the guys behind you are aiming for You?
Do you really want other officers to hang you out to dry when their testimony could exculpate You?
Do you really want to worry they might lie to see you crucified?
How about you agree to keep your oath, do your best, and learn how to look the other way where unconstitutional laws are in play, rather than enforce them.
Be careful what you ask for, it wouldn’t take many honest men to put a lot of “I’ll enforce anything” cops in prison for much of their natural lives, or get them killed, or kill them outright.
I’m no cop hater, been supporting LE all my life. Many of my friends are cops…but if you have a problem with someone suggesting you ought not to enforce blatantly unconstitutional laws, you are part of the problem, and here is to hoping you get your wish: to serve with men who won’t let you get away with that repugnant BS.
WTF kind of comment is that? Pro-statism, shut up and support your local Authoritarian? How about following the US Constitutional-Bill of Rights….
@Clark So, I can’t criticize the illegal actions of the governments favorites, unless I’m one of the governments favorites? All your comment proves to me is that you’d rather blindly defend the illegal and unconstitutional actions of state thugs rather than call out that behavior. Disgusting. Door’s to the right.
Again, we don’t have to become cops to express opinions on how they operate. They work for us.
Whatever advantage or commercial benefit Switzerland might gain as a result of this vote could well prove extremely costly in the longer term, and that longer term might not be all that far in the future. It’s been many years since I lived in Europe, and being out of touch with things, I could be wrong. Of course, time will tell.
Now, if these fools can figure out a way to get criminals to respect and follow their dumb ass “gun control” laws………….. Please let the firearm owners who are being penalized know.
Anybody in this country starts talking like Swiss officials will be the signal to demonstrate why the founders wrote the Second Amendment and why< on Sept. 9, 1789, they rejected inserting the words "for the common defense" after the words "to bear arms". And if the U.N. starts talking that way it will time to expel it from U.S. soil and see how well it functions without our money. On, and we should enact legislation that American citizens could not contribute to it. If they want to do so they can move.
Dueling sovereigns? Sounds like two equals, but they’re not. Municipal governments, home rule or otherwise, are political entities authorized and created by the state. Like it or not, they are subservient to the state.
Hell, as a creation of the several states, the federal government ought to be subservient to the states, but don’t hold your breath on that one.
“A Louisiana bill advanced to the state capitol on Thursday to prevent municipal governments from writing gun laws stricter than what the state provides.”
There are many, many states that have preemption laws, but towns/cities/villages just seem to make up their own rules as they go along, with NO consequences…start locking up the town/city/village administrations, and perhaps you’ll see a change in attitudes, they may not like law abiding, legal gun owning individuals, but I’d bet they’d like jail even less, not too mention ending up with a criminal record over it…
“…On Wednesday, students from Ohio schools described to state lawmakers how scarring school lockdown drills have been since they were implemented post-Columbine….”
In first grade we were taught the bell codes we would hear.
One long ring, pause=Fire Drill
Two Long rings, pause=Tornado Drill
Three long rings, pause=Atomic Bomb/War Drill
Every generation has their cross to bear. Mine had ‘drop and cover’, that was 52 years ago.
I would say to the Ohio students….”Suck it up buttercups and get over it.”
“students from Ohio schools described to state lawmakers how scarring school lockdown drills have been”
So, stop the lockdown drills. Problems solved, and the snowflakes can go back to sleep.
You saved me from saying it Ralph. If the lockdown drills are frightening the students, the solution seems more likely to be armed security than curtailing the rights of the law abiding, who pose no threat in the first place.
I’m not only one who sees how the leftist education system is using things like lockdown to influence the next generation to be anti gun. How long must this macabre theater play out before we strike?
The Swiss have basically given up their rights so they won’t have to pass through customs and get their passports stamped when entering any other country in Europe. They’ve also given other Europeans the right to enter Switzerland without passing through customs.
This is not an intelligent thing to do, and they will regret it.
Oh yes, let’s disarm, and at the same time allow anyone and everyone to enter our country freely, what could go wrong?
Wait, where have have I heard that argument before…oh yeah!
Muslim invasion in 3..2..1.
Some much for NE holdout states for life. Liberty, and freedom…RIP NH…..
Just watch a Democrat admin withold money from states which don’t enact gun bans.
Dollars are carrot and stick for these people.