Billionaire gun control advocate Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun group, Everytown for Gun Safety, continues to attack House Bill 786 -- an NRA-backed, pro-self-defense bill that overwhelmingly passed the Mississippi House and will be considered in the coming weeks by the State Senate. Knowing that he can't make his case against the measure personally in Mississippi, he is using pro-gun control surrogates from the Mississippi Police Chiefs Association and the legal community to do it for him -- and taking the opportunity to simultaneously promote far-reaching restrictions on your rights. For example, in a recent Jackson Clarion-Ledger guest column written by a member of the American Bar Association's Committee on Gun Violence, the author devoted two short paragraphs to criticizing HB 786 before quickly moving onto endorsing Bloomberg's favorite gun control schemes, universal prohibitions on private firearms transfers, bans on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms and standard capacity magazines, and mandates on how to store your firearms in your home.
It's up to YOU to urge your State Senators to reject Bloomberg's attacks on your rights and to pass House Bill 786 this session!
NRA-ILA had previously reported on House Bill 786, sponsored by state Representative Andy Gipson (R-Braxton), which was approved by state Representatives in a convincing 86-32 vote. The bill accomplishes two things: (1) it allows church authorities to develop security programs that designate enhanced carry permit holders or those with military or law enforcement backgrounds to protect places of worship and ensures that these participants receive the benefits of existing protections under the state's Castle Doctrine law; and (2) it clarifies current permitless carry options for law-abiding citizens while maintaining the existing enhanced and regular concealed carry permitting systems.
What Bloomberg and gun control advocates fail to acknowledge in their misguided attacks on HB 786 is that Mississippi already has limited permitless carry. Senate Bill 2394, passed and signed into law in 2015, allowed all Mississippians otherwise eligible to possess a firearm under state and federal law to carry without a permit in a "purse, handbag, satchel, other similar bag or briefcase or fully enclosed case." HB 786 would specify that this includes a "sheath, belt holster or shoulder holster" -- an important clarification for these popular methods of secure carry. Just as with passage of SB 2394, HB 786 will not prevent enforcement of prohibited person laws or of any laws governing the misuse of a firearm.
The state has not experienced problems since moving to a limited permitless carry statute in Mississippi last year. Further, no state which has adopted full permitless carry in the modern era has reversed course, including Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Maine and Wyoming. Over half the states allow for open carry without a permit, including Mississippi. HB 786 simply recognizes that it is more convenient to carry concealed in the methods outlined. Licensed concealed carry will remain an option for individuals who wish to take advantage of reciprocity with other states, and be exempt from a NICS background check requirement when purchasing a firearm.
Let your State Senators know that Bloomberg doesn't represent Mississippi values and urge them to support House Bill 786 and your right to self-defense!
Please contact Lt. Governor Tate Reeves, as well as your State Senator and politely urge them to support House Bill 786. You can contact the Lt. Governor and your Senator by clicking here or the above button.
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