Latest news with #JohnCommerford
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NRA legislative expert says gun rights could see 'most monumental' win in Congress since 2005
Congress advanced two bills this week aimed at expanding the rights of law-aiding gun owners. One of them, according to a legislative expert from the National Rifle Association, would mark the "most monumental" win for Second Amendment rights in more than 20 years, if signed into law. H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Cary Reciprocity Act, and H.R. 2184, the Firearm Due Process Protection Act, were debated and passed out of committee on Tuesday. This was the first step before the bills could be considered by the full House of Representatives and ultimately the Senate. H.R. 38, which seeks to implement nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry permits, would allow law-abiding gun owners with a permit in one state to carry in another state that also permits concealed carry but may not have reciprocity. "The right of self-defense shouldn't end simply because you cross the state line," said John Commerford, executive director of the NRA's congressional lobbying arm. "Passage of H.R. 38 — concealed carry reciprocity — would be the most monumental win for gun rights in Congress since 2005, when the Protection of Lawful Commerce and Arms Act was passed." Supreme Court Upholds Biden Admin 'Ghost Gun' Regulation While more than half of the nation's states have reciprocity laws, H.R. 38 would allow people with concealed carry permits in gun-friendly states to carry concealed firearms in places like Los Angeles and Chicago — cities in states that do not have reciprocity laws but do allow concealed carry. Read On The Fox News App Under current law, if a lawful gun owner from Pennsylvania were to cross the Delaware River into New Jersey with a concealed weapon, they could face "at least" a three-year mandatory prison sentence, according to Commerford. And while Second Amendment advocates like Commerford say they are hopeful about the potential for federal-level reciprocity for concealed carry, he and others like him fear it will add to the nation's ongoing gun violence crisis. "This legislation is a dramatic infringement on states' rights and would be disastrous for gun crime and law enforcement safety in our country," said Emma Brown, executive director at the gun control advocacy group Giffords. "Violent crime rises when state concealed carry standards are weakened, and this would weaken the standard in every single state. It would also endanger police and make their jobs harder." Blue State Gop Rep Forced To Remove 2A Sticker From Laptop: 'Offensive' The second bill advanced this week on Capitol Hill was H.R. 2184. It aims to enhance the rights of people wanting to purchase a firearm who may be denied as the result of errors in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). If a buyer appeals a judgment denying their right to purchase a firearm on the grounds that there was an error, H.R. 2184 would require federal officials to make a determination on their appeal within 60 days. If an answer is not provided within the two-month timeline, gun owners can then seek a court judgment to obtain one. "If your name is John Smith and you fill out a NICS check on Black Friday at Cabela's to buy a firearm, you're going to be in for a wait, and sometimes you're going to be in for clerical errors that could restrict that [purchase]," Commerford said. "With a pro-gun House, a pro-gun Senate, and a pro-gun president in the White House, now is the time to put the foot on the gas and try to restore Second Amendment rights of America's gun owners." Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for article source: NRA legislative expert says gun rights could see 'most monumental' win in Congress since 2005
Fox News
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
NRA legislative expert says gun rights could see 'most monumental' win in Congress since 2005
Congress advanced two bills this week aimed at expanding the rights of law-aiding gun owners. One of them, according to a legislative expert from the National Rifle Association, would mark the "most monumental" win for Second Amendment rights in more than 20 years, if signed into law. H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Cary Reciprocity Act, and H.R. 2184, the Firearm Due Process Protection Act, were debated and passed out of committee on Tuesday. This was the first step before the bills could be considered by the full House of Representatives and ultimately the Senate. H.R. 38, which seeks to implement nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry permits, would allow law-abiding gun owners with a permit in one state to carry in another state that also permits concealed carry but may not have reciprocity. "The right of self-defense shouldn't end simply because you cross the state line," said John Commerford, executive director of the NRA's congressional lobbying arm. "Passage of H.R. 38 — concealed carry reciprocity — would be the most monumental win for gun rights in Congress since 2005, when the Protection of Lawful Commerce and Arms Act was passed." While more than half of U.S. states have reciprocity laws, H.R. 38 would allow people with concealed carry permits in gun-friendly states to carry concealed firearms in places like Los Angeles and Chicago — cities in states that do not have reciprocity laws but do allow concealed carry. Under current law, if a lawful gun owner from Pennsylvania were to cross the Delaware River into New Jersey with a concealed weapon, they could face "at least" a three-year mandatory prison sentence, according to Commerford. And while Second Amendment advocates like Commerford say they are hopeful about the potential for federal-level reciprocity for concealed carry, he and others like him fear it will add to the nation's ongoing gun violence crisis. "This legislation is a dramatic infringement on states' rights and would be disastrous for gun crime and law enforcement safety in our country," said Emma Brown, executive director at the gun control advocacy group Giffords. "Violent crime rises when state concealed carry standards are weakened, and this would weaken the standard in every single state. It would also endanger police and make their jobs harder." The second bill advanced this week on Capitol Hill was H.R. 2184. It aims to enhance the rights of people wanting to purchase a firearm who may be denied as the result of errors in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). If a buyer appeals a judgment denying their right to purchase a firearm on the grounds that there was an error, H.R. 2184 would require federal officials to make a determination on their appeal within 60 days. If an answer is not provided within the two-month timeline, gun owners can then seek a court judgement to obtain one. "If your name is John Smith and you fill out a NICS check on Black Friday at Cabela's to buy a firearm, you're going to be in for a wait, and sometimes you're going to be in for clerical errors that could restrict that [purchase]," Commerford said. "With a pro-gun House, a pro-gun Senate, and a pro-gun president in the White House, now is the time to put the foot on the gas and try to restore Second Amendment rights of America's gun owners." Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Boston Globe
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Gun law opponents challenge restrictions on young adults
'Adults between the ages of 18 and 20 are part of 'the people,' and there is no historical tradition of limiting the firearms rights of adults on account of their age,' they wrote in their complaint. 'And as for the types of firearms that Massachusetts forbids them from owning, much less carrying, there can be no dispute that they qualify as 'arms' within the 'plain text' meaning of the Second Amendment.' People ages 18 to 20 in Massachusetts can acquire firearm identification cards, but that document does not grant the ability to purchase, possess, or transfer handguns or semiautomatic firearms, according to plaintiffs. To do so, someone would need to obtain a license to carry, which the law restricts only to people 21 and older. Advertisement One of the plaintiffs is Mack Escher of Brewster, a student at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy who falls in the 18-to-20 age range. He has a firearm identification card, but under the new law is unable to purchase or possess a handgun or semiautomatic firearm. He was joined in the lawsuit by the Gun Owners' Action League, Commonwealth Second Amendment, the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the NRA, as well as the national group Gun Owners of America Inc. 'Massachusetts's new gun control law is one of the most severe attacks on the right to keep and bear arms in our nation's history,' John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement alongside the lawsuit. 'Vindicating the rights of young adults is just our first step towards dismantling this unconstitutional law.' Advertisement Supporters of the massive law argue that it will save lives, especially as police work to limit the spread of untraceable 'ghost guns,' and keep gun violence rates in Massachusetts low. Plaintiffs cited the US Supreme Court's 2022 New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision, which deemed unconstitutional a New York law that required applicants to show special need to obtain a concealed carry license. That landmark decision served as a catalyst for the Massachusetts legislation two years later. The new case, focused on young adult firearms rights, is the latest piece of a broad effort targeting the new restrictions and reforms. It is at least the third lawsuit filed in federal court so far. The first challenge, filed soon after Healey signed the measure, focused on new licensing and training frameworks. Plaintiffs dropped that case in December after the Legislature delayed the effective date of a requirement for applicants to complete a live-fire training course.
