NRA-ILA ask members to show Doug Jones their support of Brett Kavanaugh
The National Rifle Association’s political arm the Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) is joining the many voices calling for U.S. Senator Doug Jones to support Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump‘s nominee to the U.S Supreme Court. Alabama’s senior senator Richard Shelby announced his support last week saying, “After speaking with Judge Brett Kavanaugh, I am confident that he is principled, intelligent, and a steadfast supporter of the rule of law,” said Shelby. “He is highly-qualified for this role and exhibits strong, conservative values and an unwavering commitment to our Constitution. I have no doubt that Judge Kavanaugh will uphold the principles on which our nation was founded. “Confirming Judge Kavanaugh is one of the most important things we will do during this Congress. I look forward to supporting his nomination to serve on our nation’s highest court, and I urge my colleagues to do the same,” Shelby continued.” Jones has previously said he was keeping an open mind on if he’d support or oppose the candidate. Since then he’s received pressure from both sides of the fight including from Obama’s own “Organizing for America” who weighed in asking Jones to oppose the nomination. The NRA-ILA is asking people to sign the following pledge which can be found on their website: Federal: Contact Your Senator and Urge Them to Confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court. The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh is a major step in securing a pro-Second Amendment majority on the Supreme Court for a generation. Let your U.S. Senators know that you support the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court and that you, along with the NRA’s six million members and tens of millions of Second Amendment supporters, will be watching the confirmation process closely. We have a responsibility to secure our right to self-defense as well as protect the Second Amendment rights of future generations. Sen. Chuck Schumer and the gun control lobby have vowed to prevent Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. That is why we need you and every pro-Second Amendment supporter to contact your U.S. Senators today and urge them to vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. What you need to know about Brett Kavanaugh: He will faithfully execute his oath to the Constitution and protect our constitutional right to keep and bear arms. He is an outstanding choice to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy’s seat on the Court. He has demonstrated his clear belief that the Constitution should be applied as the framers intended. He has supported the fundamental, individual right to self-defense embraced by Justice Antonin Scalia in the historic Heller decision. In 2011, he filed a dissenting opinion in a case challenging D.C.’s “assault weapon” ban and restrictive firearm registration requirement. In a well-reasoned opinion closely following the Supreme Court’s guidance in Heller, he found both the ban and registration requirement to be unconstitutional. In 2016, he voted to leave in place an order striking down D.C.’s restrictive carry law. In 2017, he voted to leave in place a panel decision that found D.C.’s “may-issue” carry law violated the Second Amendment. This vote led to D.C. adopting its current “shall-issue” concealed carry process. Judge Kavanaugh has an extensive and impressive legal resume. He completed his undergraduate and law degree at Yale University, clerked on the Supreme Court and served in the Bush administration. Throughout his career, Kavanaugh has fostered and built lasting relationships with key conservative figures who fight to protect and defend the Second Amendment. Tell your U.S. Senators you will be watching how they vote on this nomination and will be keeping their vote in mind when deciding how to cast your vote in the next election! Encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to contact their senators as well.
No mystery to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s gun views
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh says he recognizes that gun, drug and gang violence “has plagued all of us.” Still, he believes the Constitution limits how far government can go to restrict gun use to prevent crime. As a federal appeals court judge, Kavanaugh made it clear in a 2011 dissent that he thinks Americans can keep most guns, even the AR-15 rifles used in some of the deadliest mass shootings. Kavanaugh’s nomination by President Donald Trump has delighted Second Amendment advocates. Gun law supporters worry that his ascendancy to America’s highest court would make it harder to curb the proliferation of guns. Kavanaugh has the support of the National Rifle Association, which posted a photograph of Kavanaugh and Trump across the top of its website. The Supreme Court has basically stayed away from major guns cases since its rulings in 2008 and 2010 declared a right to have a gun, at least in the home for the purpose of self-defense. Gun rights advocates believe Kavanaugh interprets the Second Amendment right to bear arms more broadly than does Kennedy. As a first step, some legal experts expect Kavanaugh would be more likely to vote for the court to hear a case that could expand the right to gun ownership or curtail a gun control law. Kavanaugh would be a “big improvement” over Kennedy, said Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. Kennedy sided with the majority in rulings in 2008 and 2010 overturning handgun possession bans in the District of Columbia and Chicago, respectively, but some gun rights proponents believe he was a moderating influence. “Kennedy tended to be all over the map” on the Second Amendment, Pratt said. Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, the Arizona Democrat who was gravely wounded in a 2011 shooting at a constituent gathering, said in a written statement that Kavanaugh’s “dangerous views on the Second Amendment are far outside the mainstream of even conservative thought.” She predicted that Kavanaugh would back the gun lobby’s agenda, “putting corporate interests before public safety.” In his 2011 dissent in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Kavanaugh argued that the district’s ban on semi-automatic rifles and its gun registration requirement were unconstitutional. That case is known as “Heller II” because it followed the Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller striking down the city’s ban on handguns in the home. Kavanaugh said the Supreme Court held that handguns are constitutionally protected “because they have not traditionally been banned and are in common use by law-abiding citizens.” “Gun bans and gun regulations that are not longstanding or sufficiently rooted in text, history, and tradition are not consistent with the Second Amendment individual right,” he wrote in a point rejected by the majority. Critics contend Kavanaugh’s analysis is flawed because AR-15s were not around during the early days of the republic. In his dissent, Kavanaugh wrote that he had lived and worked in Washington for most of his life and was “acutely aware of the gun, drug, and gang violence that has plagued all of us.” He said few government responsibilities are more significant than fighting violent crime. “That said, the Supreme Court has long made clear that the Constitution disables the government from employing certain means to prevent, deter, or detect violent crime,” he wrote. He said it was unconstitutional to ban the most popular semi-automatic rifle, the AR-15, since it accounted for 5.5 percent of firearms by 2007 and over 14 percent of rifles produced in the U.S. for the domestic market. He said semi-automatic rifles had been commercially available since at least 1903, “are quite common in the United States” and the Supreme Court said in a 1994 ruling that they “traditionally have been widely accepted as lawful possessions.” Semi-automatic rifles were used in several mass shootings in recent years, including the February killing of 17 people at a Florida high school. Kavanaugh rejected the majority’s reasoning that semi-automatic handguns were sufficient for self-defense, saying: “That’s a bit like saying books can be banned because people can always read newspapers.” He belittled the description of the guns as “assault weapons,” saying that handguns could be called the “quintessential ‘assault weapons’ because they are used much more than other guns in violent crimes. He was equally dismissive of Washington’s gun registration protocol, saying it had not been traditionally required in the nation and “remains highly unusual today.” Still, Kavanaugh supported the ban on full automatics or machine guns, reasoning that they “were developed for the battlefield and were never in widespread civilian use.” In 2016, Kavanaugh dissented when two of his colleagues lifted an order blocking the city from enforcing a limit on issuing licenses to carry concealed firearms. The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence said the dissent shows Kavanaugh believes the district’s “good reason” requirement for concealed-carry permit applicants is unconstitutional. His views on that subject drew more scrutiny after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 days ago in a Hawaii case that people have the right to openly carry guns in public for self-defense. Phil Mendelson, a Democrat and chairman of the D.C. Council, said Kavanaugh’s dissent made clear that “his views on gun control are on the extreme side.” Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, a Democrat and professor of constitutional law at George Washington University, said she’s “worried about the shift to the right, for sure.” Some legal experts believe Kavanaugh’s confirmation make it more likely the court will hear another potentially groundbreaking Second Amendment case. Only four of nine justices need to vote in favor of reviewing a case. UCLA law school professor Adam Winkler, author of “Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America,” said Kavanaugh could become that crucial fourth vote because three justices — Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito Jr. — all have voiced support for the court to take on Second Amendment cases. Still, it takes five justices to win a
Parkland students to make bus tour to register young voters
A day after graduating, a group of Florida high school shooting survivors announced they’ll spend their summer crisscrossing the country, expanding their grass-roots activism from rallies and schools walkouts to registering young voters to help accomplish their vision for stricter gun laws. David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin and about two dozen other students who have become the faces and voices of bloodshed in American classrooms stood together Monday in matching black “Road to Change” T-shirts, holding placards at a park just down the street from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 were killed on Valentine’s Day. In the months since the shooting, the students have rallied hundreds of thousands across the country to march for gun reform, including a massive turnout in Washington, D.C., in March. But the young activists say rallies won’t matter unless that energy is funneled into voting out lawmakers beholden to the National Rifle Association this November. “This generation is the generation of students you will be reading about next in the textbooks. … These are students who are changing the game,” Kasky said. “It’s not just my friends and I from Stoneman Douglas High School. We are part of something so much greater. Students from all over the country are beginning to get up, rally, move in the right direction and realize just how important it is to exercise our freedom.” He cited dismal statistics noting voter turnout in the last midterm elections was the lowest since World War II. That’s why the students are planning more than 25 stops in a two-month nationwide tour hitting Iowa, Texas, California, South Carolina, Connecticut and others, targeting communities rocked by gun violence or where lawmakers supported by the NRA are running for office. Kasky said they’re focusing on the 4 million people turning 18 this year. “Voting has so often become a chore to people; people have so often shrugged it off as something that’s not important,” he said. Hogg helped organize a massive voter registration drive last week at 1,000 schools in 46 states. He and other students are advocating for tighter regulations on guns, including universal background checks and training for people who own AR-15s and similar semi-automatic rifles. The students said they are funding the tour through donations but declined to say how much they’ve raised. March For Our Lives received heavy financial and publicity support from celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney. They’re also backed by a tightknit, wealthy community where parents and residents have lent them office space and professionals have also been coordinating publicity for them. In addition to the national tour, the students are also planning a separate tour in Florida, targeting every congressional district in the Sunshine State. “We’re working straight through with very minimal breaks because we’re trying to get to as many places as possible, meet as many people as possible,” said Gonzalez, who graduated Sunday. “We’re trying to help stop this before it comes to other places because bullets aren’t picky.” Gonzalez and Corin said their favorite part of activism has been connecting one-on-one with students across the country just like them. Corin recently traveled to Kenya to speak about engaging young activists The tour will begin June 15 in Chicago, where the Florida students will join the Peace March, led by students from St. Sabina Academy. Some of the Chicago students who spoke at the Washington rally and will join the Florida group at a few other stops, Corin said. She said they’re making calls to the student clubs and groups that held their sibling marches and walkouts across the country to encourage voter registration. “Our school is right down the road. Our lives are completely changed forever, and we are dedicating our lives to this issue,” said Corin. Also Monday, a local task force released 100 recommendations for improving school safety, but noted it will be difficult to fund the measures, which include hiring additional school counselors, therapists and school police officers. The Broward County task force also recommended random searches at schools, raising the heights of fences around schools, adding metal detectors and window coverings to conceal students, keeping classroom doors locked at all times and installing cameras to monitor every inch of school grounds. “We would love to be able to put every one of these recommendations into place right now, but the reality is we don’t have all the resources to do that,” said Beam Furr, mayor of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Donald Trump says he won’t let right to bear arms ‘be under siege’
Months after the horror of the Parkland school shootings in Florida, President Donald Trump stood before cheering members of the National Rifle Association and urged them to elect more Republicans to Congress to defend gun rights. Trump claimed that Democrats want to “outlaw guns” and said if the nation takes that drastic step, it might as well ban all vans and trucks because they are the new weapons for “maniac terrorists.” “We will never give up our freedom. We will live free and we will die free,” Trump said Friday as he tried to rally pro-gun voters for the 2018 congressional elections. “We’ve got to do great in ’18.” Activists energized by shootings at schools, churches and elsewhere are also focused on those elections. In the aftermath of the February school shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 dead and many more wounded, Trump had temporarily strayed from gun rights dogma. During a televised gun meeting with lawmakers in late February, he wagged his finger at a Republican senator and scolded him for being “afraid of the NRA,” declaring that he would stand up to the group and finally get results in quelling gun violence. But he later backpedaled on that tough talk. He was clearly back in the fold at the NRA’s annual convention, pledging that Americans’ Second Amendment right to bear arms will “never ever be under siege as long as I am your president.” Trump briefly referenced the Parkland shootings in his speech, saying that he “mourned for the victims and their families” and noting that he signed a spending bill that included provisions to strengthen the federal background check system for gun purchases as well as add money to improve school safety. He also repeated his strong support for “letting highly trained teachers carry concealed weapons.” Trump’s speech in Dallas was his fourth consecutive appearance at the NRA’s annual convention. His gun comments were woven into a campaign-style speech that touched on the Russia probe, the 2016 campaign, his efforts in North Korea and Iran and his fight against illegal immigration. In strikingly personal criticism of members of Congress, he decried what he said were terribly weak immigration laws, declaring, “We have laws that were written by people that truly could not love our country.” While the president veered wildly off topic at times — speaking about entertainer Kanye West’s recent support and former Secretary of State John Kerry’s bicycle accident three years ago — he repeatedly returned to the message of the day: his support for the Second Amendment. Trump said some political advisers had told him attending the NRA convention might be controversial, but, “You know what I said? ‘Bye, bye, gotta get on the plane.’” Trump has long enjoyed strong backing from the NRA, which spent about $30 million in support of his presidential campaign. He was introduced by Vice President Mike Pence, who pointed to his own support for gun rights and accused the news media of failing to tell “the whole story” that “firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens” make communities safer. One of the Parkland student survivors, David Hogg, criticized Trump’s appearance in advance. “It’s kind of hypocritical of him to go there after saying so many politicians bow to the NRA and are owned by them,” Hogg said. “It proves that his heart and his wallet are in the same place.” Back in February, Trump had praised members of the gun lobby as “great patriots” but declared “that doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything. It doesn’t make sense that I have to wait until I’m 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18.” He was referring to the AR-15 the Parkland shooting suspect is accused of using. Those words rattled some Republicans in Congress and sparked hope among gun-control advocates that, unlike after previous mass shootings, tougher regulations might be enacted. But after expressing interest in increasing the minimum age to purchase an assault weapon to 21, Trump later declared there was “not much political support” for that. He then pushed off the issue of age restrictions by assigning it to a commission. Gabrielle Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman who was shot outside a grocery store during a constituent gathering in 2011, said Trump had “allowed his presidency to be hijacked by gun lobbyists and campaign dollars.” She said Trump had “ignored the pleas of young people demanding safer gun laws.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
After flirting with gun-control movement, Donald Trump faces NRA
Back for a return engagement, President Donald Trump’s address to the National Rifle Association on Friday comes after he temporarily strayed from the group’s strong opposition to tougher gun controls following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida — only to rapidly return to the fold. For the fourth year in a row, Trump will speak to the group, which meets this year in Dallas. Last year, he became the first sitting president to appear in more than 30 years, declaring that the “assault” on the Second Amendment had ended. But this year’s speech comes as the issue of gun violence takes on new urgency after one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. Student survivors of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead are now leading a massive national gun control movement. While the shooting has not led to major changes from the White House or the Republican-led Congress, it did — at least briefly — prompt Trump to declare that he would stand up to the powerful gun lobby. He later backpedaled on that tough talk. Trump’s attendance at this year’s NRA convention was announced just days ago and came after Vice President Mike Pence already was scheduled to appear. Asked why Trump was attending, given the current political tensions around gun violence, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this week that safety was a “big priority.” But, she added, “We also support the Second Amendment, and strongly support it, and don’t see there to be a problem with speaking at the National Rifle Association’s meeting.” Trump has long enjoyed strong backing from the NRA, which spent about $30 million in support of his presidential campaign. The NRA showcased its high-profile guests for the event, with NRA Executive Director Chris Cox saying on Twitter: “We are honored to celebrate American Freedom with @realDonaldTrump, @VP Mike Pence and others. #2A #watchtheleftmeltdown” But one of the Parkland student survivors, David Hogg, was critical of Trump’s planned attendance. “It’s kind of hypocritical of him to go there after saying so many politicians bow to the NRA and are owned by them,” Hogg said. “It proves that his heart and his wallet are in the same place.” During a televised gun meeting with lawmakers in late February, Trump wagged his finger at a Republican senator and scolded him for being “afraid of the NRA,” declaring that he would stand up to the group and finally get results in quelling gun violence. He praised members of the gun lobby as “great patriots” but declared “that doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything. It doesn’t make sense that I have to wait until I’m 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18.” He was referring to the AR-15 the Parkland shooting suspect is accused of using. Those words rattled some Republicans in Congress and sparked hope among gun-control advocates that, unlike after previous mass shootings, tougher regulations would be enacted this time. But Trump later retreated on those words, expressing support for modest changes to the background check system, as well as arming teachers. After expressing interest in increasing the minimum age to purchase a so-called assault weapon to 21, Trump later declared there was “not much political support” for the move. He then pushed off the issue of age restrictions by assigning the question to a commission. Trump’s moves have drawn concerns from both sides of the gun debate. “He ran as supposedly the best friend of the Second Amendment and has become gun grabber in chief,” said Michael Hammond, legislative counsel to the Gun Owners of America. Hammond said his members were upset Trump had approved a spending bill that included background check updates. “We’re not confident at all. We are very disappointed.” Kristin Brown, of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said Trump had offered mixed messages since the Parkland shooting. “Which Donald Trump is going to show up?” she asked. “Will it be the one who sympathized with the Parkland students he brought to the White House, the one who met with members of the Senate … or the one who had burgers” with NRA head Wayne LaPierre. Several groups announced plans to protest over the weekend. The protesters will include parents of those killed in Parkland and in other shootings. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
DC officials cite gun control hypocrisy in condemning Marco Rubio
It was one week after the fatal shootings at a Parkland, Florida, high school, and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio was looking to show solidarity with an angry crowd of parents and students in his home state. He told them — and a national television audience — that 18-year-olds should not be able to buy a rifle and said, “I will support a law that takes that right away.” About 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) north, District of Columbia officials could only shake their heads in disbelief. The city already had a law barring 18-year-olds from buying rifles, yet Rubio was the main senator pushing legislation to end that ban, as well as D.C.’s prohibition of assault weapons. “Rubio’s gun bill should be a public embarrassment as well as a personal embarrassment to him,” said Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s nonvoting delegate in Congress. Gun control has long been a sore point in relations between officials in this heavily Democratic city, home to some of the nation’s toughest gun control laws, and Republicans, who as the congressional majority have power over D.C.’s laws. The strong feelings have intensified with the nation at a crossroads moment in the gun control debate after the Feb. 14 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and a subsequent “March for Our Lives” gun-control rally in Washington. Rubio, in particular, is seen as the villain. City officials accuse him of playing cynical political games with the lives of Washington residents to curry favor with the National Rifle Association. Following the town hall, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser challenged Rubio to withdraw his bill. Rubio sent her a letter saying that he and Bowser “share a common goal” and that his bill seeks only to bring Washington “in line with federal law.” If federal law changes —which Rubio said is his goal — then Washington’s laws would change as well. Bowser, a Democrat, posted the letter on Twitter with her handwritten notes and objections written in the margins. Those notes include Bowser calling Rubio’s stance “the epitome of hypocrisy.” “He’s just using it to boost his NRA score,” Bowser said in an interview with The Associated Press. “What we think Marco Rubio should be focused on is his job.” Asked for comment by The Associated Press, Rubio staffers responded by providing the Rubio letter that Bowser had posted. Rubio introduced the bill, known as the Second Amendment Enforcement Act, in 2015 and again in 2017. According to the NRA website, Rubio has an A-plus rating. Among its list of Rubio accomplishments is that he “sponsored legislation that would repeal Washington, D.C.’s draconian gun control laws and restore the right of self-defense to law-abiding individuals in our nation’s capital.” Norton said she’s been fighting off similar bills in Congress for years. Another one, sponsored by Virginia Republican Tom Garrett, exists in the House. Neither of them has much chance of passing because the Republican majorities in Congress wouldn’t hold together on such a divisive issue, she said. “The worst part is why he did it. Why would a senator from Florida take on this issue?” Norton asked. “He’s coming back every year for his NRA payoff.” According to public records, Rubio received just under $10,000 directly from the NRA during the 2016 election. However the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, which combines direct contributions from the NRA with contributions from like-minded affiliates, super PACs and money spent on campaign ads on behalf of the candidate, estimates that Rubio has received more than $3.3 million over the course of his career, making him the 6th-highest recipient in Congress. The Washington government has bristled for years under what officials call the heavy-handed and arrogant oversight of Congress, which has the right to alter or spike all Washington laws. Washington has long fought to defend its strict gun control. A 2008 Supreme Court ruling declared Washington’s blanket ban on handgun ownership unconstitutional. Washington restrictions such as preventing gun owners from registering more than one gun per month and requiring re-registration every three years also have been struck down by the courts. The issues of Washington’s autonomy and its gun control laws are deeply intertwined. The closest Washington has come in recent years to having a vote in Congress unraveled over gun control. Republicans have opposed statehood for the District of Columbia, which would boost Democratic power in Congress. Despite the Republican Party’s general opposition to federal interference in state issues, the official GOP platform stance on D.C. statehood is that it can only be achieved via constitutional amendment. The platform states that “the nation’s capital city is a special responsibility of the federal government because it belongs both to its residents and to all Americans.” A 2009 compromise proposed creating a new congressional district in heavily Republican Utah. In exchange, Washington’s House delegate seat would be upgraded to full voting status. However, as the D.C. Voting Rights Act worked its way through Congress, Republican Nevada Sen. John Ensign attached a rider that would have required Washington to abolish most of its gun-ownership restrictions. The city government concluded it was too high a price to pay and the bill was shelved. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Walt Maddox calls out NRA questionnaire, defends Constitutional rights
Recently the National Rifle Association (NRA) queried Democratic candidate for Governor, Walt Maddox asking him about his stance on legislative issues pertaining to the 2nd Amendment. While most candidate fill out endless questionnaires without hesitation, Maddox took the opportunity to call out the NRA for their line of questioning, noting it appears to be a “quid pro quo agreement” that should he support NRA-backed legislation they would support his campaign. “I find it uncomfortable that your survey and this process somehow implies that if I make a commitment on legislation that I would get your support. That strikes me as being the kind of quid pro quo agreement that has landed too many state leaders either in jail or out of office in recent years,” Maddox wrote the NRA. “If you walked into my office and told me you would provide endorsements, financial backing and votes in return for my commitment on legislation I believe we would rapidly be approaching grounds for an indictable offense.” Instead, Maddox said he will uphold a high ethnical standard and will not “make a commitment on any specific legislation.” He went on to clarify his support for 2nd Amendment and constitutional rights. “But let me make my position clear. I will never favor taking any existing constitutional right away from any American unless we, as a people, come to the conclusion that restraint of some rights helps ensure the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by all,” Maddox added. Maddox will face former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, along with Christopher Countryman, James Fields, Doug Smith and Anthony White in the June 5 Democratic primary. The winner will go on to face the Republican nominee in the general election, to be selected among: Gov. Kay Ivey, Tommy Battle, Bill Hightower, Scott Dawson, or Michael McAllister. Read Maddox’s full response to the NRA below: Thank you for asking for my responses to your questionnaire. I realize that your efforts are designed to support values which you sincerely hold dearly. I also cherish the constitutional rights guaranteed to all citizens through the Second Amendment. So it is with tremendous self-examination and thought that I am writing this letter to respond to your survey. First, there are a number of questions on your survey that ask for my commitment on very specific legislation that is either pending or may be proposed. I find it uncomfortable that your survey and this process somehow implies that if I make a commitment on legislation that I would get your support. That strikes me as being the kind of quid pro quo agreement that has landed too many state leaders either in jail or out of office in recent years. If you walked into my office and told me you would provide endorsements, financial backing and votes in return for my commitment on legislation I believe we would rapidly be approaching grounds for an indictable offense. Because I uphold the highest ethical standard, I will not entertain or make a commitment on any specific legislation. But let me make my position clear. I will never favor taking any existing constitutional right away from any American unless we, as a people, come to the conclusion that restraint of some rights helps ensure the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by all. The first amendment to our Constitution guarantees free speech. But we, as a people, have long recognized that speech can be a powerful weapon and as such must be restrained in ways to protect the rights of others. The right to bear arms is central to the creation and preservation of our republic but it clearly is no more central that our right to free speech. So, I stand with those who would protect the liberties provided through our second amendment. As Governor, I will fight to ensure the preservation of all rights guaranteed by our Constitution.
Prosecuting those who lie to buy guns could strain resources
A Trump administration plan to crack down on people who lie to buy guns faces a giant hurdle: It relies on federal agents and prosecutors who are already overwhelmed with other responsibilities. Prosecutors and officials from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have historically preferred to use their limited resources to deal with violent crimes rather than aggressively pursue people who give false information on background check forms. Lying on the forms is a felony, and prosecutors sometimes struggle to win convictions. Still, both sides of the gun control debate welcomed the effort, as President Donald Trump faced criticism for backpedaling from his earlier demands for sweeping reforms in favor of the powerful National Rifle Association. By enforcing existing federal law, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ plan allows the Trump administration to show it is taking action on gun crime in the aftermath of the Florida school shootings while avoiding more restrictive approaches that would never win approval from gun-rights groups or congressional Republicans. Tens of thousands of people are denied guns each year because of problems with their background checks. But a review by the Justice Department’s inspector general found prosecutions for lying during that process are rare. The ATF referred more than 500 so-called lie-and-try cases to federal prosecutors between 2008 and 2015, the review found, but fewer than 32 cases each year were even considered for prosecution. “We must vigilantly protect the integrity of the background check system through appropriate prosecution of those who attempt to circumvent the law,” Sessions wrote in a memo directing federal prosecutors to bring more cases. It was among several Justice Department initiatives unrolled in response to the shootings in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 people dead. Sessions told federal prosecutors to focus primarily on people denied guns because they are violent felons, fugitives or have domestic violence convictions, which the Justice Department says will help preserve limited resources for cases that pose the greatest threat to public safety. But some current and former law enforcement officials feared that any additional emphasis on such cases would detract from more pressing concerns, such as prosecuting people who buy guns on behalf of felons or those who try to buy guns illegally and are successful. Lie-and-try cases are hard to try in court because prosecutors must convince a jury that a prospective gun buyer intended to lie, rather than just made a mistake or misunderstood what the law allows, which is sometimes the case. And officials stress there are other ways for someone who can’t legally own a gun to get one, such as from private sellers or at gun shows, where federal background checks aren’t required. “There is a reason why they are not getting prosecuted heavily at the moment, and that’s because they are less-than-compelling cases. They’re not getting guns,” John Walsh, a former U.S. attorney in Colorado, said. Walsh’s 2013 testimony about the Obama administration’s gun control proposals quickly turned to a grilling from Republican lawmakers about why so few people were being prosecuted for lying in their attempts to buy guns. An Obama appointee, he argued there was no way the Justice Department could have prosecuted more than a million people who were rejected for gun purchases over a 15-year period. An ATF spokesman said the agency supports the administration’s approach and would shift resources accordingly. There are reasons for concern about those who try and fail to buy guns. Government-funded studies show they are more likely to be arrested in the five years following the denial than in the five years before it. But Walsh said he doubted Sessions’ directive would result in a tidal wave of new cases. The memo asks federal prosecutors to work with local ATF leaders to review their guidelines for handling the cases and to submit a specially tailored plan for approval. It doesn’t say what could happen to U.S. attorney’s offices that don’t comply. “This is in the nature of window dressing,” Walsh said. The move puts additional pressure on the perennially resource-strapped agency at a time when it has already been asked to take on a growing role in the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on violent crime. Trump, for example, ordered ATF to work toward banning rapid-fire bump stocks like those used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre despite the agency’s prior approval of the devices. Extra ATF agents were deployed last summer to cities like Chicago and Baltimore that saw spikes in shootings. “It’s kind of a tiered approach on how you have to manage resources,” said Michael Bouchard, a retired assistant director who is now president of the ATF Association. “You’re going to take people away from doing things that are going to have a significant impact on violent crime.” Lie-and-try prosecutions would not have prevented the shootings in Las Vegas or Florida because the gunmen bought their guns legally. A man who slaughtered more than two dozen parishioners at a Texas church last year got his weapon only because information about his domestic violence conviction was never entered into the federal database. After that shooting Sessions launched a wide-ranging review of the system, which also sought information on the number of recent lie-and-try investigations. But the Justice Department on Tuesday would not release the data or other results of the review beyond an executive summary. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Senators: Allow feds to keep guns from people deemed threat
Senators from both parties are proposing to let federal courts keep guns away from people who show warning signs of violence in response to the deadly school shooting in Florida. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal said Thursday their bill is a common-sense proposal to save lives. At a news conference, Graham said the government encourages people who see something suspicious to “say something” to authorities. He asked, “Isn’t it incumbent on government to do something” to prevent gun violence? The bill is modeled on state “red flag laws” that let officials take guns away from people who are judged to pose an imminent danger to themselves or others. A federal law would fill gaps in state laws, Graham said, noting that only a handful of states allow gun-violence restraining orders. “Guns and shooters cross borders,” Blumenthal said. “That’s why a federal solution is important.” A federal red-flag law “will save lives,” he said. Police and the FBI received numerous warnings about the accused Florida shooter but did not move to take away his guns. Graham and Blumenthal said they were motivated not just by the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida, but also by high-profile shootings in their home states — a 2015 massacre at a Charleston, South Carolina, church that killed nine people and a 2012 shooting that killed 20 school children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut. “I’m 62 years old. I’m tired of going home and telling people we just can’t do anything,” Graham said. Blumenthal said he is frequently asked in Connecticut why Congress can’t stop dangerous people from having guns. “An aroused and outraged public” will be able to overcome opposition from the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups, he said. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed a law this week prohibiting domestic abusers and people under restraining orders from owning firearms. Florida lawmakers, meantime, have approved a bill would let law enforcement officers petition a court for a risk protection order for individuals that show signs of harming themselves or others. Republican Gov. Rick Scott has not said whether he’ll sign it. Florida Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson have introduced a bipartisan bill to encourage states to adopt red-flag laws, with federal grants conditioned on meeting a series of requirements. Rubio is a Republican, and Nelson is a Democrat. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama’s Congressional Democrats ready for gun control action, Republicans mum
Americans across the country are once again calling on Congress to take action on gun control following last week’s massacre in Parkland, Fla. that left 17 people dead at a high school. While Congress has yet to take action, President Donald Trump helped move the conversation forward on Monday when he offered support for a limited strengthening of federal background checks on gun purchases. “While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered, the president is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system,” confirmed White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Trump’s is referring to the Fix NICS Act. Introduced last year by Texas-Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the bill is aimed to “fix” the way in which existing background checks can prevent firearm purchases by those who present possible red flags to state and local authorities. The legislation would ensure that federal and state authorities comply with existing law and accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The bill also penalizes federal agencies that fail to properly report relevant records and incentivizes states to improve their overall reporting and directs more federal funding to the accurate reporting of domestic violence records. Within the Alabama delegation, Democrats U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri A. Sewell are glad to see Trump’s support for policy change and are ready to see Congress take action. “I absolutely support strengthening our background check system, and I’m glad the President agrees,” said Jones. “We need better data reported to the database, we need to close the gun show loophole, and we need to look at ways we can improve school safety. These won’t fix the problem overnight, but they are common sense first steps that we can take immediately.” Sewell agrees the Fix NICS Act is a step in the right direction. “I strongly agree that the Congress must take bipartisan action to strengthen background checks and address the epidemic of gun violence that has claimed so many lives,” remarked Sewell. “The Fix NICS Act is a step in the right direction, but alone, it is not enough to address the tragic reality of gun violence in America that has struck communities from Parkland to Las Vegas to Newtown.” But Sewell doesn’t believe the bill, which is backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, goes far enough on its own. “This bill does not close the gun show loophole or prevent the reckless sale of bump stocks, both of which deserve legislative solutions,” Sewell added. “I believe the President’s support for Sen. Cornyn’s bill is proof of the growing public demand for action among both Republicans and Democrats. I have always been a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, but Congress can no longer settle for symbolic gestures when gun violence kills more Americans every day.” Meanwhile Republicans have remained mostly mum offering only their thoughts and prayers to the victims’ families. 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne being the only exception. When Alabama Today asked all members of the Alabama delegation whether or not they supported improving the federal background check system, Byrne’s was the only Republican office to respond. “Congressman Byrne is open to evaluating any proposal from the Trump Administration regarding potential changes to the background check system. He will wait to review the proposals before weighing in,” said Byrne spokesperson Seth Morrow.
House passes bill allowing concealed carry across state lines
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 231-198 Wednesday to pass a bill that would allow people with concealed carry permits to carry their concealed weapons into other states where concealed weapons are allowed, scoring a major victory for gun-rights supporters. H.R. 38: the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act allows a person with a valid state-issued concealed firearm permit to carry a concealed firearm in any other state that also issues concealed firearm permits. The bill would also apply for states that allow non-prohibited persons to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Notably, the bill does not create a national licensing program, but would require states to recognize other states’ valid concealed carry permits. The bill does not allow felons and other prohibited possessors to carry concealed handguns, as they are not legally allowed to have a firearm now, and that does not change under the bill. The legislation, supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA), now faces an uncertain future in the U.S. Senate as eight Democrats most vote in favor of the bill in order for it to become law. Here’s how the Alabama delegation voted: Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: A citizen’s Second Amendment right should not end when they cross state lines. Under current law, a gunowner is subject to criminal and civil risk by simply exercising their constitutional right to carry their firearm when traveling. With this strong Second Amendment legislation, we can provide much needed clarity and help make our country a safer place. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers As a strong supporter of our Second Amendment rights, I was proud to support the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This common-sense legislation will allow any law-abiding gun owners to concealed carry across state lines without penalty. I am pleased this bill passed the House today. Alabama 4th District U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks Today’s House passage of concealed carry reciprocity is a win both for gun owners everywhere and for the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Constitutional rights don’t end at state lines. This bill helps to ensure that all Americans are able to protect themselves and their families from criminals and terrorists when traveling from state to state. If H.R. 38 is enacted into law, then every citizen’s Constitutional right to carry concealed firearms will be protected and promoted. The Second Amendment is not only a matter of public safety for law-abiding citizens, it is a fundamental part of America’s Bill of Rights. In that vein, I am proud to protect the Second Amendment and promote concealed carry reciprocity Alabama 6th District U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer: As a staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment, I am a proud cosponsor of and voted in favor of H.R. 38 today. This bill protects the constitutional right for law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and ensures that the right does not end when you cross a state line. Overreaching restrictions placed on gun ownership are not only unconstitutional, they inevitably harm law-abiding citizens and do little to dissuade the illegal use of firearms. It is important to note that this bill would not apply to individuals prohibited from possessing a firearm under current federal law. Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell
Top GOP Senate candidates tout endorsements in final sprint to primary day
The top GOP candidates running to finish out Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ term in the Senate each publicized major campaign endorsements Monday. CD 5 U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks picked up support from conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who said Alabamians have “a chance this year to save the country by sending Congressman Mo Brooks to the US Senate.” “Despite my general policy of not making endorsements in GOP state primaries, this moment in history is too important not to endorse Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks for the Senate seat vacated by the great Jeff Sessions,” she said. Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore sent out an email Monday touting an endorsement from the Alabama Republican Assembly, which announced it would back Moore last week. Don Wallace, who heads up the Southeast Region of the ALRA, said “while there are several good candidates that are running for this position and who would serve Alabama well in the Senate, the Republican Assembly voted overwhelmingly for Judge Moore because of his demonstrable commitment to conservative principles and a willingness to stand up against an out of control Federal Judiciary.” Not to be outdone, sitting U.S. Sen. Luther Strange came out with a new ad highlighting the endorsement he received from the National Rifle Association back in May. In the 30-second ad, titled “Drain the Swamp,” Strange says he’s working with President Donald Trump’s administration to curb illegal immigration and build a wall on the country’s southern border. The ad then displays the NRA seal and he mentions the group’s endorsement over video of Strange firing a handgun at a shooting range. A recent poll from Raycom News Network put Strange and Moore in a statistical tie heading into the final stretch, with Brooks coming in as the only other GOP candidate in the nine-person field with double digit support. Alabama requires a primary runoff election if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, which seems likely given current poll numbers. The primary race is set for Aug. 15. The primary runoff, if necessary, will be Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
