Nevada: Governor Vetoes New York-Style Gun Control Bill and Signs Pro-Gun Bill into Law

Today, Governor Brian Sandoval (R) vetoed Senate Bill 221.  SB 221 is misguided gun control legislation being forced on law-abiding citizens of Nevada by extremist New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his national anti-gun organization, “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” (MAIG).

For most of the 2013 legislative session, Senate Bill 221 was stalled in the state legislature.  Bloomberg and MAIG began operating in Nevada and started an expensive and deceptive campaign when they realized that their extreme anti-gun agenda was facing great opposition in Carson City.  On the final day of this session and in spite of obvious flaws recognized even by supporters, SB 221 passed in the Assembly by a 23 to 19 vote after passing in the state Senate by a 11 to 10 vote on May 22.

SB 221 would ban and criminalize all private firearm transfers, absent an exception, unless conducted through a gun dealer.  Even transactions that do not require a background check – such as those involving a concealed firearm permit holder – would still have been required to go through a gun dealer and would have been subjected to a fee.  Additionally, SB 221 carries penalties so severe for violations of this proposed law that failure to follow them exactly would result in temporary, and even permanent, loss of your fundamental Second Amendment rights.

Thanks to your grassroots lobbying efforts, Governor Sandoval, who had announced his intended action before its passage, vetoed SB 221.   To view the Governor’s veto letter, please click here.

Proving to be a Governor who supports law-abiding gun owners, Governor Sandoval also signed into law pro-gun Senate Bill 76 on May 29.

Senate Bill 76 passed in the state Senate unanimously on March 4 and passed in the state Assembly by a 34 to 5 vote on May 23.

Under SB 76, a concealed carry weapon (CCW) applicant would only have to qualify with one handgun.  Current law requires that CCW applicants qualify with both a semi-automatic pistol and a revolver, should they wish to carry both kinds of handguns.

Please e-mail Governor Brian Sandoval today and thank him for standing up for the Second Amendment and law-abiding gun owners in Nevada by vetoing SB 221 and signing into law SB 76.