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The 5th Circuit Says the Federal Ban on Handgun Sales to Young Adults Is Unconstitutional
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The federal ban on handgun sales to adults younger than 21 violates the Second Amendment, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled today. That law is "unconstitutional in light of our Nation's historic tradition of firearm regulation," a three-judge panel unanimously concluded in Reese v. ATF.

"Today's ruling is yet another critical FPC win against an immoral and unconstitutional age-based gun ban," said Brandon Combs, president of the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), which challenged the law along with two would-be handgun buyers and two other gun rights groups. "We look forward to restoring the Second Amendment rights of all peaceable adults throughout the United States."

Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Federal Handgun Purchase Ban for Adults Under 21
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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In sum, 18 U.S.C. §§ 992(b)(1), (c)(1) and their attendant regulations are unconstitutional in light of our Nations historic tradition of firearm regulation, Judge Jones wrote in Reese v. ATF.

The ruling is a victory for gun-rights advocates. It marks the first time that an appeals court has struck down the federal handgun purchase ban since the Supreme Court altered the test courts must use to evaluate modern gun laws in 2022s New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen. It comes as appellate courts across the country have increasingly called into question gun laws that place greater burdens on younger adults than their older peers, with some exceptions.

Crane Reintroduces Bill to Restore Veterans 2nd Amendment Rights
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Recently, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) introduced H.R.496 in response to the Biden VAs unconstitutional restrictions on veterans Second Amendment rights.

Rep. Cranes bill clarifies that any veteran who was reported to the FBIs National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) by a VA fiduciary was done so incorrectly in violation of their constitutional rights.

It also forces the VA Secretary to instruct the Attorney General to remove these veterans from the NICS list.

Appeals court strikes down federal ban on gun sales to under-21 buyers
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled the federal governments long-standing ban on federally licensed firearms dealers selling handguns to adults aged 18 to 20 is unconstitutional.

The Louisiana-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuits decision in Reese v. ATF, a case brought by young adults and supported by the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and the Second Amendment Foundation, marks a major victory for Second Amendment advocates.

In its opinion, the court relied on the Supreme Courts 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which established that modern firearm laws must align with historical tradition. Writing for the three-judge panel, U.S.

Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Federal Handgun Ban for Young Adults
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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In a major win for gun rights, the SAF and its partners have successfully challenged the federal governments prohibition on handgun sales to young adults. A three-judge panel of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously to overturn a lower court decision, declaring the restriction unconstitutional and remanding the case for further proceedings.

The case, Reese v. ATF, was brought by SAF along with Firearms Policy Coalition, Louisiana Shooting Association and two private citizens, Emily Naquin and Caleb Reese. The plaintiffs argued that banning law-abiding 18-to-20-year-olds from purchasing handguns was a clear violation of their Second Amendment rights.

California Sides with Mexico AGAINST U.S. Gun Industry & Second Amendment Rights
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The willingness of some in the U.S. to aid a foreign power in an assault on American industry and Americans Constitutional rights is sad and disturbing.

On January 17, California Attorney General Rob Bonta proclaimed his support for Mexicos position in the ongoing case Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc, et al. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos. The case, now at the U.S. Supreme Court, is an attempt by the Mexican government, working with U.S.-based gun control advocates, to undo the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), scapegoat the U.S. firearms industry for Mexican lawlessness, and impose billions of dollars in liability on American gun manufacturers for violence perpetrated by violent criminals south of the border.

CO: Second-Degree Murder Trial Overturned in Weld County
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Judge Welling, the author of the ruling, said that there were unanswered questions regarding the case that leave the door open for the jury to consider self-defense. Specifically, there were weapons scattered at the murder scene and a neighbor knew the exact location of the murder weapon. He said there is limited evidence to support this theory, but its ultimately the jurys job to determine whether the evidence demonstrates that Hoschouer did indeed act in self-defense.

The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution provide the right to due process, which means that some cases can be overturned when a judge doesnt provide the jury with proper instructions. Hoschouer is still in custody at a Denver prison facility.

Federal appeals court panel: Ban on handgun sales to adults under 21 is unconstitutional
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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A federal law that bans the sale of handguns to adults under age 21 is unconstitutional, according to a Jan. 30 ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

The New Orleans-based court panel's unanimous ruling in the case, known as Reese v. ATF, reversed the December 2022 decision of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, noting this is the second case in the court challenging the federal law's constitutionality.

NH: Congress Should Make 2025 the Year of National Concealed Carry Reciprocity
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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There is an unfortunate reality that law-abiding gun owners routinely face. Responsible gun owners are forced to navigate a complex patchwork of laws, which can often lead to unintentional violations and legal jeopardy when traveling between states. The uncertainty and inconsistency of firearm laws from one state to the next not only create logistical challenges but also undermine the fundamental right of responsible citizens to protect themselves and their loved ones.

For example, one U.S. Concealed Carry Association member and gun owner has a carry permit in Wisconsin. He frequently travels between Minnesota and Illinois. Neither Minnesota nor Illinois recognize reciprocity with his Wisconsin permit.

Italy: Elderly Man Acquitted After Defending His Home From Burglar
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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An 86-year-old former financier was recently acquitted after shooting a burglar who broke into his home in Bergamo. The incident has reignited the debate on self-defense and home security, increasingly topical issues in an era in which home burglaries seem to be on the rise. The elderly man, who experienced moments of great fear, said: "I only defended my family, in fact I should have even received an award because I didn't kill anyone." His testimony highlights not only the personal drama he experienced, but also the growing anxiety that many citizens feel about their own safety.

FL: Fire Investigator Holds Attacker at Gunpoint After Mobile Home Fires in Seffner, FL
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews responded just before 6 a.m. to reports of two mobile homes on fire near Robson Avenue and MLK Boulevard in Seffner. Alongside the fire crews, an investigator arrived to assess the situation.

According to officials, shortly after arriving, the investigator was confronted and attacked by a man at the scene. With the situation deemed too dangerous, firefighters were temporarily prevented from tackling the blaze. In response to the threat, the investigator drew his firearm and held the suspect at gunpoint until Hillsborough County Sheriffs deputies arrived and took the man into custody.

GU Center for the Constitution Honors Book Profiling Second Amendment
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Robert Cottrol (LAW 84), a law, history and sociology professor at the George Washington University, and Brannon Denning, a law professor at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., each received the Thomas M. Cooley book prize, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of constitutional law. The award recognizes Cottrol and Dennings book, titled To Trust the People with Arms: The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment, with a $50,000 prize.

Randy Barnett, the director of the center, said the award seeks to recognize specialized research on the Constitution.

Are You Packin?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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The annual report on concealed carry in the United States, published by the Crime Prevention Research Center, has some eye-opening details about the number of legally armed citizens and a very plausible explanation for why the number of active permits and licenses has dropped slightly for the second year in a row.

According to the CPRC, which was founded and is run by author and researcher John Lott, nobody should be fooled into presuming people are giving up their guns. With 29 states now online with permitless (a.k.a. Constitutional) carry, many citizens are simply not renewing their carry document and are still legally packing. How many folks are packing hardware? Who really knows?

Court says banning gun sales to young adults under 21 is unconstitutional
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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A U.S. appeals court on Thursday ruled against a federal law requiring young adults to be 21 to buy handguns, finding it violated the Second Amendment.

The ruling, handed down by a panel of three judges on the conservative U.S. 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, comes amid major shifts in the national firearm legal landscape following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights in 2022.

The court found that people aged 18-to-20 should not be prohibited from buying guns.

ND: North Dakota bill would ban red flag laws
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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North Dakota lawmakers want to ban red flag laws, a tool that advocates of extreme risk protection orders say could help prevent tragedies like the 2023 shooting that killed a Fargo police officer

House Bill 1411 would prohibit state agencies, political subdivisions or any person from issuing an extreme risk protection provision. The bill describes the extreme risk protection provision as an executive or judicial order that bans an individual who is an extreme risk of personal injury or death from possessing a firearm.

KY: Beshear goes to bat for gun owners who want to use medical cannabis
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Governor Andy Beshear sent a letter to lawmakers urging them to protect the second amendment rights of law-abiding Kentucky citizens who use cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Under federal law, any citizen who elects to participate in a state-legalized medical cannabis program is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm. During his weekly Team Kentucky update, the governor said he sent a letter to the commonwealths congressional delegation urging them to address this issue and take action to protect the constitutional rights of medical cannabis patients.

Congress Shall Make No Law vs. Shall Not Be Infringed
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The phrase shall not be infringed is broader and more abstract in its scope. Unlike the First Amendment, which directly addresses Congress, the Second Amendment imposes a general prohibition overall on the infringement of the right to bear arms, without specifying which branch or level of government it restrains; thus, all branches plus under the Fourteenth Amendment to the states. The lack of direct reference to any governmental body opens the language to broader interpretation and debate regarding its application spanning both Federal and State levels.

Heres where guns were seized by TSA at Michigan airports in 2024
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Michigan residents were better about leaving their firearm at home or packing it away properly before flying in 2024.

The calendar year saw 92 incidents in which a firearm was discovered at a Michigan airport security gate, which was a decrease of almost 26% from 2023, according to data published this month by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

As expected, the states most popular airport -- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) -- had the most firearm incidents with 60. That was a decline of 37.5% from the previous year and marked the lowest total since 2020.

Appeals court says banning gun sales to adults under 21 is unconstitutional
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Federal law requires a person to be 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer and 18 to buy a long gun from a dealer, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. There is an 18-year-old minimum for handgun purchases from unlicensed sellers and no minimum age for long guns, according to the groups research.

The Giffords Law Center called the decision reckless and said age restrictions help prevent violence. We hope the current law will be ultimately upheld, legal director David Pucino said.

I Carry Spotlight: New EDC Guns from SHOT Show 2025 Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Walking the floor at SHOW Show 2025, there are a multitude of interesting new firearms from which to choose. One category that remains quite strong is the concealed-carry market, with more and more people discovering the EDC lifestyle. Plentiful new pistols were launched at SHOT specifically for this market, and we take a look at a handful f new-for-2025 items.

CO: A bill banning certain semiautomatic guns in Colorado is gaining momentum. Heres how Western Slope lawmakers feel about it
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Colorado lawmakers could be closer than ever to passing legislation outlawing certain semiautomatic guns after two years of failed attempts.

Senate Bill 3 would prohibit the sale, purchase, and manufacture of semiautomatic firearms that accept detachable ammunition magazines. That would include AR-15 and AK-47 rifles as well as AR and AK-style pistols, according to an analysis by The Colorado Sun.

The bill overcame its first key test at the Capitol on Tuesday after a Senate committee voted 3-2 to advance it to the Senate floor shortly before midnight. The vote was along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.

OR: Oregon courts ask lawmakers for $8M to keep guns, contraband out of courthouses
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The Oregon Judicial Department will ask the Legislature this session for about $8.4 million to step up courthouse security to stop people from bringing guns, knives and drugs inside.

The money would fund 31 new positions to help screen people entering courthouses in Coos, Curry, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Polk, Clatsop and Linn counties over the next two years, according to the Oregon Judicial Department.

WI: Restrictions on guns can prevent suicides
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Suicide is a difficult subject to talk about, but the shooting at Abundant Life Christian Schools indicates we must talk about it.

The shooters at Abundant Life, Newtown, Connecticut, and at many other mass shootings were suicidal. They knew that their actions would end with them taking their own life, or forcing the police to shoot them.

Suicide is often described as a long-term solution to a short-term problem. Those contemplating suicide cant envision a better future. For some, it is hard to imagine a person feeling so despondent that suicide seems the best way out.