Charlie T Waite

MONTGOMERY — During the Senate Judiciary Committee’s public hearing on a constitutional carry bill on Wednesday, a Democratic state senator accused Second Amendment advocates of wanting people with mental illnesses to be able to purchase and possess firearms, leading the senator to assert that these same advocates themselves have “some mental problems.” Read Full Story

What are yo asking for them?

Fairfax, Va. - Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, issued the following statement in regards to today's attempt by the City of New York to dismiss the NRA-supported Supreme Court case N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association, et al. v. City of N.Y., et al.: “The City of New York clearly knows that its current restrictions on the carrying and transportation of lawfully owned firearms are unconstitutional and will fail under any standard of constitutional review, as the NRA has been saying for years. Today, it asked the U.S. Supreme Court to ignore the Constitution and allow the City to slow walk a narrow expansion of its current policy through a lengthy bureaucratic process -- the result of which, even if adopted, would still unduly infringe upon the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment. That is not how things work in the Supreme Court; the Court does not put its review on hold while the government embarks on a journey that at best might fix only a limited part of the constitutional defect. This is nothing more than a naked attempt by New York City to resist Supreme Court review of policies that even New York must recognize as inconsistent with the holdings in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago. The City of New York did not respect its citizens' Second Amendment rights before the Supreme Court granted review in this case and it will not respect them going forward. We are confident that the Court will reject New York's desperate attempt to avoid review of its blatantly unconstitutional laws." Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. More than five million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services.

BY LARRY KEANE, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 04/15/19 04:50 PM EDT

Wednesday, April 17, the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear House Bill 265. HB 265, sponsored by Representative Merika Coleman (D-57),would authorize individuals to file for a “gun violence protective order” against anyone they claim is dangerous, which may be awarded by a court without any due process protections in place. Individuals subject to such orders will be forced to surrender any and all firearms in their possession. Without a doubt, HB 265 is one of the most egregious violations of civil liberties ever introduced in the Alabama Legislature. This slipshod and misguided bill would create a process that is ripe for abuse. Please use the TAKE ACTION button below to contact the member of the House Judiciary Committee urging them to OPPOSE HB 265. HB 265 would authorize an individual to file for a “gun violence protective order” against someone they believe shouldn’t have firearms. The list of those who can file for such an order includes family members, former dating partners, former roommates, as well as teachers and members of law enforcement. When compared to federal law, HB 265 provides for an expanded universe of parties who can trigger the deprivation of a law-abiding citizen’s Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, as well as his or her Fourth Amendment right to be free from improper searches and seizures. It should be noted that if an individual is truly dangerous, existing law already provides a variety of mechanisms to deal with the individual, all of which can lead to firearm prohibitions in appropriate cases. The issuance of a “gun violence protective order” does nothing to deal with the underlying causes of dangerousness, nor does it subject the person to any actual physical restraint, ongoing reporting or monitoring requirements, or treatment for an underlying mental health condition. HB 265 will also have the effect of acting as a false security blanket by leaving truly dangerous individuals free to commit violent crimes with anything at their disposal. HB 265 will only promote the denial of fundamental civil liberties, not protect public safety. Continue to check your inbox and www.NRAILA.org for issues impacting your Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage in Alabama.

Tomorrow, the Texas House is scheduled to vote on House Bill 1177, NRA-backed legislation sponsored by Rep. Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), which protects citizens from being charged with a crime for carrying a handgun without a License To Carry while evacuating from an area subject to a mandatory order issued during a declared state or local disaster, or while returning to that area. Please contact your state Representatives before noon tomorrow and urge them to SUPPORT House Bill 1177. Texans should be able to protect themselves and their loved ones, and to legally transport their lawfully-owned handguns, if they are evacuating by means other than their personal vehicles or their own watercraft during a mandatory evacuation order. They should not be denied the ability to take certain firearms with them for fear of breaking the law and be forced to leave them behind for potential looters. These bills are especially important for law-abiding residents of a state that is prone to evacuations due to hurricanes, floods and wildfires. House Bill 1177 would offer temporary protection to honest Texans whose licenses are lost or damaged due to flood, wind or fire, and to those who don’t have a license because they never envisioned a need to transport or carry their handguns outside the home. The proposed legislation is similar to a Florida law, which has been in effect since 2015. Again, please contact your state Representatives before noon tomorrow and strongly urge them to SUPPORT House Bill 1177.

This week, Senate Bill 403 and its companion bill, House Bill 167, are scheduled for consideration in their respective chambers. Please click below to contact your lawmakers and urge them to support this important pro-gun legislation. Senate Bill 403 /House Bill 167, sponsored by Senator John Stevens and Rep. William Lamberth respectively, create mandatory prison penalties for the theft of a firearm. This legislation would actually punish criminals for their acts, instead of placing the burden on law-abiding gun owners. Senate Bill 403 is scheduled for consideration in the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee on Tuesday. House Bill 169 is scheduled for consideration on the House Floor on Wednesday. House Bill 1264 /Senate Bill 705, sponsored by Chairman Andy Holt and Senator John Stevens, would create a new concealed carry permit in Tennessee that would make it more accessible for Tennesseans to exercise their right to self-defense. The new permit will allow for concealed carry only and will not apply to higher education campuses. Further, the training required in the bill can be a hunter education course or firearm safety course, and can be taken online. By creating a new concealed carry permit, Tennesseans are able to choose which permit option is best for them and their lifestyle in order to exercise their constitutional right to self-defense. House Bill 1264 is awaiting a hearing in the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee. Senate Bill 705 is awaiting consideration in the Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee. Again, please contact your lawmakers and strongly urge them to SUPPORT the above pro-gun bills.