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House, Senate bills would ban state excise taxes on guns, ammo, parts
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Last week, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-California) and Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina) reintroduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act (S.1169 and H.R.2442, respectively). These pieces of legislation would prohibit states from levying excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and components.
California has already implemented an 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition to fund gun control initiatives and to discourage lawful firearm ownership. Colorado also recently implemented a 6.5% excise tax on firearms, firearm precursor parts, and ammunition. And Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Vermont, and Washington are also considering similar proposals. |
NC: Risky business? Slate of NC gun bills condemned by some, celebrated by others.
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Juliet Rosa, a survivor of domestic violence and UNC-Chapel Hill student, is “a little bit overwhelmed” by this session’s plethora of gun bills, which include so-called constitutional carry legislation, sentence enhancements for crimes involving firearms and a measure proposing North Carolina as a Second Amendment sanctuary state.
If North Carolina lawmakers pass these bills, Rosa may just pack her bags and leave.
Gun bills aren’t novel in North Carolina, but there weren’t too many major changes until 2023. That’s when lawmakers narrowly repealed a century-old pistol purchase permit requirement over Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto, said state Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford. |
CO: House Bill 1312: State censorship around ‘misgendering’
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Many Colorado legislators show a shocking disregard for the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment, despite having sworn an oath to uphold those key legal protections of our rights.
Examples: A housing bill treats religious nonprofits differently from nonreligious ones, in violation of the equal protection and establishment clauses. An open-records bill gives preferential treatment to journalists over other citizens, another violation of equal protection. A semiautomatic gun bill denies due process to people arbitrarily denied their right to purchase various common guns, also a violation of the Second Amendment. |
Lawmakers Propose Nationwide Ban on Gun and Ammo Taxes
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U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) introduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act on March 27, 2025. The proposed legislation would prohibit states from imposing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition when those taxes are used to fund gun control programs.
According to Senator Risch, the bill is intended to counter what he described as attempts by certain states to “exploit the Second Amendment” by financially burdening law-abiding gun owners. “The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states do not place a significant financial burden on law-abiding gun owners to advance their anti-Second Amendment agenda,” said Risch. |
Non-Violent Gun Convictions Deserve Trump’s Attention
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For decades, this correspondent has considered the possibility of presidential pardons for persons convicted of non-violent offenses which are infringements on the rights protected by the Second Amendment.
In his recent YouTube video, Mark Smith explains his idea for pardons with some details about what was politically possible during the second Trump administration. Smith persuasively argues the Trump administration would be open to pardons for people who have been victimized in prosecutions, which are persecutions of people peacefully exercising their rights. |
NM: A Cautious Sigh of Relief in New Mexico
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The quick, regular order legislative session in New Mexico, where strict gun control legislation had been making its way through committee consideration, came to an end on Saturday at noon.
The good news? Those gun control bills, that would restrict the rights of law-abiding New Mexicans and do nothing to hold criminals accountable for their crimes, failed to advance.
The bad news? New Mexico’s Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham isn’t happy and Second Amendment supporters in the state know very well she’s gone above and beyond before to enact dubious and unconstitutional gun control laws outside the normal process. |
NY: NY Gov Hochul signs several gun control measures into law
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Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed several firearm control bills into law and is touting new numbers showing gun violence is down in the state.
One bill would require gun dealers to post warnings at sales counters and distribute paper warnings with every sale that the presence of a gun in the home "increases the risk of suicide, accidental death or shooting deaths" in times of domestic dispute. |
AL: 911 transcripts reveal woman claims self-defense after stabbing boyfriend to death in Semmes
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Caller: “My boyfriend just jumped on me and I stabbed him.”
911: “You said you’re at Dyson Boulevard?”
Caller: Yes ma’am, he just jumped me and beat me up and I just… tried to get him off me.
911: He’s down?
Caller: Yes ma’am, he’s down. I stabbed him, y’all. I’m sorry.
...
The woman has not been charged at this time. A grand jury will now decide if any charges will be filed.
Torrans urges anyone who might be in a similar situation to call their 24/7 domestic violence hotline. |
Don’t Get Zoned Out of Your Second Amendment Rights
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Property owners may occasionally face challenges when municipalities interpret zoning ordinances in ways that could limit certain lawful activities. We recently represented a client in a case where the municipality sought to apply zoning and code enforcement regulations in a manner that restricted the client’s ability to engage in target shooting on private property. |
CO: Gun group urges Governor Polis to veto controversial bill
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A Colorado gun group delivered a petition Thursday morning to Governor Jared Polis urging him to veto a controversial gun control bill that the legislature recently passed.
Senate Bill 25-003 was originally an outright ban on the sale or purchase of most semi-automatic rifles or shotguns that take detachable magazines, but was amended to allow for purchases if an individual secures a “firearms safety course eligibility card” from their sheriff department and completes a qualifying firearm education course. |
VA: Virginia Governor’s Veto of Anti-Gun Bills Benefits Gun Owners, Hunting and Conservation
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When a state’s governor vetoes legislation that would have greatly restricted Second Amendment (2A) rights, the story line goes like this: Governor secures 2A rights with veto pen.
Well, true enough. But the “hidden story,” if you will, is that such vetoes can also help secure wildlife conservation and preserve hunting.
That’s one important way to view the veto of two dozen anti-2A bills that arrived at the desk of Virgina Gov. Glenn Youngkin in late March. As noted by the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), “Similar to last [legislative] session, Gov. Youngkin disposed of egregious legislation that would have emboldened criminals and left peaceable Virginians defenseless.” |
GA: Georgia House Republicans pass bill that targets Savannah gun ordinance
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The Georgia House of Representatives passed legislation Friday aimed at a gun ordinance the Savannah City Council passed last year.
The ordinance prohibits storing firearms in unlocked vehicles, with violators subject to a $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail.
While House Republicans opposed the ordinance on its merits as infringing on gun owners' Second Amendment rights, much of Friday's debate centered around GOP arguments that state law preempts local ordinances. |
NE: Legal Battle Over ‘Gun-Free Zones’ Reaches Nebraska Supreme Court
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Not only did these local ordinances violate Nebraska’s preemption statute, according to Hilgers, they “infringe constitutional rights under the Second Amendment and the Nebraska Constitution.”
Nevertheless, the cities have persisted in keeping these ordinances in place, even after the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association filed suit challenging the laws. On Thursday, the lawsuit challenging Lincoln’s restrictions landed in front of the state’s highest court, where attorneys representing Lincoln mounted a logically repugnant defense of the ordinance. |
GA: Georgia bill that would let people sue over local gun control dies before Senate approval
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A Georgia bill that would have allowed residents to sue local governments for enacting local gun safety measures died Friday evening before the state Senate could approve it.
The bill, which supporters said would have ensured localities don't violate people’s gun rights, was passed by the House earlier Friday, and the Senate had been expected to give it final approval. But the chamber ended its last day of session early without voting on the bill, leaving it dead at least until next year, when the Senate could take it up again. |
IL: Gun Rights Advocates In Illinois Seek Federal Review
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Gun rights supporters in Illinois are requesting U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi review what they consider Second Amendment violations in state gun laws. This comes after Bondi’s recent statements defending gun rights following her investigation into California’s permit delays.
The Illinois State Rifle Association has engaged with the Trump administration on this issue. Ed Sullivan from the association welcomed potential federal intervention, stating that Illinois has some of “the most onerous states in the nation when it comes to anti-gun laws.” |
Should Robots Wield Guns? States Move to Draw the Line
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Boston Dynamics, founded by a former MIT researcher, has developed robot technology since 1992. Its tech is used by about 50 public safety agencies across the country. Now, they’re leading a policy charge, working with legislators in a growing number of states including California, New York and Massachusetts to make it illegal to weaponize robots.
Currently there isn’t a law anywhere in the country that would prohibit weaponizing a robot. |
FBI Caught Spying on Lawful Gun Owners—You Won’t Believe Why
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The ATF and FBI have been monitoring gun purchases made by California residents to bust them for violating the state’s assault weapons ban.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) recently revealed that the ATF and FBI have been using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to surveil lawful gun owners to help the Golden State enforce their gun control laws.
In a recent “Minute Man Moment” episode, GOA’s Ben Sanderson broke down the operation, noting that the FBI, initially tasked with targeting violent gangs and cartels, has instead been “using unconstitutional investigations, not to enforce federal, but state gun control laws.” |
NY: Weekend gun buyback event in Brooklyn aims to reduce gun violence across NYC
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Are the streets of New York City getting safer?
Governor Hochul and the NYPD say yes, and they have the numbers to prove it.
They say gun violence in particular is down about 53 percent from before the pandemic.
They also say shootings are at their lowest levels on record in 28 communities.
Eyewitness News' Darla Miles sat down with Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez to talk about initiatives in Brooklyn that could drive the numbers even lower. |
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