Arizona: Anti-Gun Bill Defeated in Committee, Pro-Gun Legislation Advances

On February 14^th, the Arizona State Legislature held committee hearings on several bills affecting your Second Amendment rights.  Senate Bill 1374, which would have significantly weakened Arizona’s state preemption statute, was defeated in committee with a 4-3 vote.  Additionally, House Bill 2535, which guarantees that law-abiding citizens will not be stripped of their Second Amendment rights when they choose to provide foster care to children, was passed out of the House Judiciary and Public Safety Committee with a 5-4 vote.  HB 2535 will now head to the House floor.  Please contact your state Representative and urge them to support HB 2535 when it comes up for a vote!  Click the “Take Action” button below to contact your state Representative.

House Bill 2535, introduced by Representative Kevin Payne (R-21), would protect the right to self-defense while in the premises of a foster home.  Foster parents are like any other parents who simply want to care for their children, including exercising their Second Amendment rights in order to protect their families.  Under current Department of Child Safety rules, foster parents are required to store their firearms in locked storage container, with a trigger locking device, and with the ammunition stored separately in a locked device.  This intrusive policy invades people’s homes and forces them to render their firearm useless in a self-defense situation by locking them up.  Arizona’s foster parents should not be forced to choose between their Second Amendment rights or their children.

Senate Bill 1374, introduced by Senator Kate Brophy McGee(R-28), was defeated in the Senate Government Committee on February 14^th with a 4-3 vote.  SB 1374 would have significantly weakened Arizona's state firearm preemption statute or potentially render it ineffective. This legislation would have limited who would be allowed to request an Attorney General investigation of a violation of the state preemption statute, and would have added unnecessary time delays to make the states preemption statute less effective.  Firearm preemption laws ensure that fundamental Second Amendment rights are not diluted or distorted through controversial local policies and help prevent a confusing patchwork of gun control laws which make it difficult for gun owners to ensure that they are following the law.  Furthermore, Second Amendment rights are guaranteed to all citizens, regardless of where they live. 

Again, please use the Take Action button above to contact your Representative and urge them to support HB 2535 when it comes up for a vote!  Please stay tuned to your email inbox and www.nraila.org for further updates throughout the session.