Expanding Gun Rights Across the Country

Thanks to NRA members and Second Amendment supporters all across the country, America’s gun owners rang-in in the New Year with 85 new, NRA-backed, pro-gun bills on the books. Governors in 32 states signed bills expanding our freedoms into law. In sharp contrast, only four governors signed into law a total of eight anti-gun bills last year.

In Florida, a new law will protect gun owners from discriminatory practices by insurance companies. Another law – the so-called Pop Tart bill – will protect school children from being harshly punished under zero-tolerance policies for harmless play with imaginary guns.

In Idaho, a newlaw expands the scope of enhanced concealed carry licenses to include certain areas ofpublic college or university campuses.

In Michigan, gun owners now have new protections against unscrupulous members of the media who might try to gain access to permit-to-purchase application records to publish the home addresses of these gun owners.

Georgia passed House Bill 60, the most comprehensive pro-gun legislation in state history.  Among other things, HB 60 prohibits the state from creating and maintaining a database of carry license holders; allows for the use of firearm sound suppressors while hunting; and protects the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners from being restricted or infringed by executive authority under a declared state of emergency.

And three states – Kansas, Indiana, and Louisiana – have new laws prohibiting law enforcement agencies from using taxpayer money to fund gun “buy-back” programs.

Despite these new gains, we must remain vigilant in beating back any attempts to restrict our freedom, while working to ensure we capitalize on any opportunity to strengthen our gun rights.