Last week, Senate Bill 16 was signed into law by Governor Jack Markell (D). Sponsored by Senator Margaret Rose Henry (D-2), Senate Bill 16 imposes onerous requirements on innocent victims of crime, merely because they are gun owners. SB 16 requires a gun owner to notify law enforcement if a firearm was stolen or lost within an arbitrary time period, and carries severe penalties and fines for violations. This legislation is highly discriminatory, an excessive waste of taxpayer funds and law enforcement resources, will not impact crime and is opposed by the NRA. This legislation went into effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature on June 12.
By requiring owners of stolen or lost firearms to report the loss within seven days of discovery, Governor Markell and the General Assembly have clearly acted in a discriminatory fashion to punish and further victimize people who have experienced a loss of property, privacy and sense of security just because they are gun owners. Instead of focusing on real criminals, Senate Bill 16 uses law enforcement resources to go after law-abiding citizens in Delaware. Anyone who does not follow these arbitrary laws will be subjected to heavy fines or felony charges that could take away their right to possess a firearm. Law enforcement should focus on catching those responsible for the actual criminal acts instead of shamefully wasting time and resources targeting Delawareans in pursuit of an anti-gun political agenda.
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