Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

FL: Here are 10 of Florida's largest legal issues to watch this year
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Nearly six years after Florida lawmakers passed a measure to prevent sales of rifles and other long guns to people under age 21, a Second Amendment challenge to the law is pending at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The full appeals court said in July it would hear the case, after a three-judge panel upheld the age restriction. But the case has been effectively on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a Texas case about gun restrictions.

OH: Change in Concealed Carry Law Did Not Drive Violent Crime in Ohio Cities, Study Shows
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Six of Ohio�s eight largest cities saw less gun crime after the state�s �constitutional carry� law took effect, according to a study published today by the Center for Justice Research, a partnership between the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Bowling Green State University.

Beginning June 13, 2022, Ohio became the 23rd state to allow its citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. In the year following, crime involving guns dropped across Ohio�s eight largest cities as a whole and in six of the eight individually.

NE: Nebraska Bill Would Ban State Enforcement of Most Federal Gun Control
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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A Nebraska bill would end state and local enforcement of many federal acts that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms within the state.

Sen. Steve Halloran introduced Legislature Bill 194 (LB194) last year and it has been carried over for the 2024 session. Titled the �Second Amendment Preservation Act,� the bill would prohibit state agencies and law enforcement officers from willfully enforcing a federal statute, order, rule, or regulation purporting to regulate a firearm, a firearm accessory, or firearm ammunition that �does not exist under the laws of this state,� except to comply with an order of a court.

MN: Governor Tim Walz Defends New Red Flag Law as Lifesaver
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Governor Tim Walz is fighting off criticism of a new extreme risk protection order law that went into effect on Monday.

The so-called red flag law allows for a family member or domestic partner to petition a court to take away firearms from someone deemed a threat to themselves or others. Opponents say it strips gun owners of due process as they are required to hand over firearms without being charged with a crime. At a press conference to discuss the new law, Walz strongly refuted those accusations, saying it is common sense legislation that will help save lives.

IL: Latest Attempt to Stop Illinois AWB Falls Short
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Judge McGlynn concluded: �The deadline for registration is steeply upon us. Enjoining only the registration requirement for attachments and parts but not firearms would likely lead to more confusion than clarity. It may also create further delays in this litigation when the constitutional rights of the citizens demand an expeditious resolution on the merits.�

In the end, Illinois gun owners are stuck with the horrific law until some future court hopefully chooses to overturn it and call it exactly what it is�grossly unconstitutional.

CA: Santa Cruz Dispensary Self Defense
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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In a district attorney�s legal decision that could only happen in California, Hubbard was subsequently charged by the Santa Cruz County District Attorney�s Office with a further four counts of assault with a semiautomatic rifle and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Once again, Hubbard had used a handgun and not a rifle, but this is California that this case occurred in and not Texas, so lack of proper firearm knowledge is easily explainable. Although overcharging by a Prosecutor�s Office is a larger, National symptom. Most egregious though was Hubbard being charged with a felony of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, which could either be considered one of the vehicles or perhaps a nearby business.

MA: AR-15s are meant for slaughter, not self defense, so Massachusetts man can't outfit his house with them while his suit over state gun regulations continues, judge rules Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
A federal judge says the state's ban on certain high-powered assault weapons complies with the Second Amendment and so he's rejected a request for a preliminary injunction that would let one Massachusetts man in particular, but also other gun fans, stock up on semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines while a lawsuit over the issue wends its way through the courts.

UT: �She was justified�: Judge dismisses murder charge against woman who killed pro bull rider Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
A judge decided Wednesday that it does not matter whether a woman knew it was her boyfriend who was breaking into her home, or whether the man had belongings in her home. He ruled that she was legally justified when she killed the man. �She was justified in shooting the gun,� 3rd District Judge Mark Kouris said.

VT: Stabbing charge thrown out against Vermont man following road rage incident Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
The encounter followed a road rage incident that began in Jericho and ended in Bolton, police said in 2022. While Mercer originally was cited for aggravated assault with a weapon, a hearing on the case last month resulted in a dismissal of the case against him. Vermont Superior Court Judge Megan Shafritz wrote on Dec. 15, 2023, that Mercer established he was acting in self-defense at the time.

CA: Battle over California's ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines shows a nation divided
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Late last month, a coalition of 19 U.S. states and the District of Columbia came together to support California's ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

In a brief filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a challenge to California's law is being considered, the coalition argued that California's ban is "wholly consistent" with the Second Amendment and should be upheld as lawful.

Late Thursday, 25 other states responded with their own brief arguing just the opposite. They said California's ammunition ban was a threat to the Second Amendment and to individual gun owners' right to self-defense, and should be overturned as unconstitutional.

NY: Horseheads church wins major battle in lawsuit against NYS over gun law restrictions
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In response, a U.S. District Court judge a year ago imposed an injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing the gun-free zone rule for churches while the lawsuits play out, and the state appealed that ruling in January 2023.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in December affirmed the earlier ruling and left the injunctions in place.

�The court made it clear that the U.S. Constitution grants the right of self-defense for all Americans and houses of worship cannot be disarmed," said Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute, which brought the suit on behalf of His Tabernacle.

"No American should be forced to sacrifice one constitutionally protected freedom to enjoy another," Dys said.

WA: 2024 state laws roundup: Minimum wage, firearm sales, more
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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With the Legislature�s passage of House Bill 1143, licensed dealers may not transfer any firearm until completion of federal and state background checks of the purchaser�s eligibility to possess a firearm and a waiting period of 10 business days from when the dealer requested the background check.

The gun buyer or recipient must also provide proof of completing a recognized firearms safety training program within the last five years. The program must include safety training for semiautomatic rifles and instruction on state laws regarding use of deadly force for self-defense and techniques on avoiding criminal attacks and management of violent confrontations. Law enforcement officers and trained military personnel may be exempted.

Brazil: Fewer firearms registered in Brazil in 2023
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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According to Brazil's National Weapons System (Sinarm), 20,822 new firearms were registered for personal defense in 2023 from 111,044 the previous year, which represented an 82% drop, Agencia Brasil reported.

The Federal Police (PF) said it was the lowest number of firearms registered for self-defense since 2004 when only 4,094 units were registered. Pistols top the list with 14,277 registrations in 2023, followed by shotguns (2,309), and rifles (2,215).

NM: New Mexico State Police to host second gun buyback in Las Cruces
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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The New Mexico State Police announced a second gun buyback event in Las Cruces after the first saw dozens of residents turn over guns in exchange for gift cards.

The event is part of a broader effort to address gun violence in New Mexico, although experts and academic studies suggest that gun buybacks are ineffective in doing so.

According to a post on NMSP�s Facebook page on Dec. 28, state police will host four new events across the state on Jan. 6. The buyback in Las Cruces will occur at First Baptist Church at 4201 N. Sonoma Ranch Boulevard. The event starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m.

Nigeria: Plateau killings: Nigerians�ve right to bear arms in self defence � Falana replies Army chief
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Featuring on Channels Television�s Sunrise Breakfast on Wednesday, Falana said: �In the first place, it is not correct to say Nigerians have no right to bear arms. Apart from the fact that the penal code applicable in the North and the criminal code applicable in the South recognises the right to self-defence.

�In other words, if someone aims a gun at me, and I can quickly grab another gun, I have the right to shoot.

�But you are required to apply for the licence first.

�I am just talking of the right to self-defence which is also guaranteed by the Constitution.�

TX: Houston grand jury declines to charge man who shot and killed robber inside taqueria
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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A grand jury in Texas has decided not to charge a man who shot and killed a robber inside a Houston taqueria last year.

A grand jury decided on Wednesday that it will not charge a man who shot and killed 30-year-old Eric Eugene Washington, according to a press release from the Harris County District Attorney�s Office, after Washington entered the El Ranchito taqueria in January 2023 while flashing what appeared to be a gun and robbing the residents inside in an incident that was captured on video.

�Grand jurors �no billed� the shooter,� the press release stated.

CA: California 's blatantly unconstitutional, anti-2A law 'openly defiant of the Supreme Court' takes effect
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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California's Senate Bill 2, a radical ban on public possession of a firearm in twenty-six classes of "sensitive places," became effective on January 1st. With this new law, California has in effect banned the practical application of the Second Amendment in the state in what a federal judge called a law "repugnant to the Second Amendment."

In a Saturday ruling, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed a ruling from Judge Cormac Carney, allowing the law he described as "openly defiant of the Supreme Court," to take effect, as reported by Reason.

CA: A new California law restricts carrying guns in public � testing the Second Amendment
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Gun owners in California can no longer carry firearms into amusement parks, museums, churches, zoos, banks, public parks or a whole slew of other places, even if they have a concealed carry permit.

Those restrictions are part of a new state law that took effect this week, and it is already facing scrutiny in the courts.

Last month, a U.S. district judge blocked the law from taking effect, calling it "repugnant to the Second Amendment." But a federal appeals court put a temporary hold on that ruling over the weekend, allowing the law to proceed for now.

A Big Year for the Second Amendment
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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While NRA members made huge strides in 2023 to defend and expand the right to keep and bear arms, 2024 will be an even more important year for the future of the Second Amendment.

For starters, the Supreme Court will likely provide more guidance for how it will apply the Second Amendment in cases challenging the constitutionality of firearms restrictions. Last November, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Rahimi. That case challenged the constitutionality of the federal firearms prohibition that applies to individuals subject to certain protective orders. The Supreme Court will likely issue a decision in Rahimi this spring.

CO: Lawsuit claims new Colorado law prohibiting ghost guns violates Second Amendment
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A Colorado law banning the manufacturing of so-called ghost guns violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, a lawsuit filed by gun rights groups argues.

The National Association for Gun Rights, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and three of its members filed a 10-page complaint on Monday in U.S. District Court in Colorado, the same day some terms of Senate Bill 23-279 took effect. The bill was signed into law last June and several portions took effect immediately.

CO: Council considers �overruling the Second Amendment�
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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In case you are not aware, members of the Salida City Council are currently discussing the possibility of overruling the Second Amendment, which states: "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

They aim to ban the open carry of certain firearms in parts of Salida, although their complete plan has not yet been made public. The stated justification for this proposed ban is their personal fear of firearms and specific individuals who lawfully carry them in Salida.

SD: SD attorney general joins challenge to California firearm magazine ban
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Attorney General Marty Jackley and two dozen other state attorneys general are challenging a California firearm law.

The law would ban magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds.

�This ban is another intrusion on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,� Jackley said. �It is important that attorneys general nationwide remain vigilant against any legislation that infringes upon an individual�s Second Amendment rights.�

The amicus brief asks the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold an earlier ruling by a U.S. District Court in California.

TN: TN joins coalition challenging ATF rule violating second amendment
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is joining 26 other state attorneys general and the Arizona State Legislature in a public comment letter demanding that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms drop a proposed rule that violates the Second Amendment. The proposed rule risks making any individual who sells a firearm for profit liable to civil, administrative, and even criminal penalties for failing to register with a federal agency.

22-250 vs 223: Which Cartridge Is Better?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The 22-250 vs 223 is a great cartridge comparison because both use the same diameter bullets and both are stellar choices for varmint and predator hunting. The 22-250 Remington is the older cartridge, but it�s also the fastest. The 223 Remington is much more prolific and a bit more versatile. To make the choice that�s best for you, you not only need to consider ballistics, but you also need to compare energy and recoil, trajectory and wind drift, and something that is often overlooked when comparing rifle cartridges, and that�s rifling twist rate. We are going to look at all of those things and more here, but let�s start with a basic 22-250 vs 233 tale of tape.