Weekly Spotlight 12/19/24 – 12/25/24
With 2025 on the Horizon, the New Year Presents Unique Challenges, Opportunities In State Legislatures Across the Country
2024 was a landmark year for the Second Amendment. State legislatures across the country, such as Louisiana and South Carolina, passed bills to expand and protect law-abiding citizens’ rights to self-defense. They worked against anti-gun bills that would infringe upon Second Amendment rights. At the ballot box in November, voters nationwide sent a clear message that Second Amendment rights are of paramount concern to them.
In 2025, the fundamental right to self protection is positioned to be a top-line issue amid a new administration and a unified Congress. As Republicans prepare to take control in Washington, D.C., many Second Amendment advocates are optimistic about the opportunity to keep their 2A rights intact, while also looking for a unique political moment with the potential to expand these rights through policies like national concealed carry reciprocity. However, this change of political powers comes with a caveat—much of the fight for Second Amendment rights will be shifting to the state level, where many anti-gun legislators may see their opportunity to advance so-called “gun control” policies.
Some legislators have used this as a reason to double down on a counter agenda – in this case, restricting Second Amendment rights. These opponents argue that the action at the federal level will require stricter local measures. This push-pull dynamic underscores just how crucial the 2025 legislative sessions will be in state capitals throughout the country.
We can expect anti-gun lawmakers to use this opportunity to push dangerous policies like so called “assault weapon” bans, magazine capacity limits, walkbacks on concealed carry reciprocity, or dangerous “so-called” red flag laws. It’s imperative that law-abiding gun owners and Second Amendment advocates must be proactive stakeholders in their own defense and engage their lawmakers and stay involved in the political process.
As we navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by a change in government, let’s not lose sight of the importance of state legislatures. They are the frontline in the ongoing fight to safeguard our fundamental freedoms. By remaining engaged, informed, and active at the state level, we can ensure that the Second Amendment remains a vital and protected part of our nation’s fabric for generations to come. Our work is far from over—state governments hold the power to either strengthen or weaken our rights, and it’s up to us to make sure that our freedoms continue to be defended, not just celebrated.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Washington Examiner: Democrats’ Gun Control Demands Are Lazy
Democrats have always been unwilling to learn anything about guns or even most gun laws before spouting off their gun control talking points. Still, they have somehow become even lazier on this issue over the past few years. Two people were killed and several more injured at a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday. Like clockwork, President Joe Biden trotted out a copy-and-paste statement about how “We need Congress to act. Now,” and that we need “commonsense gun safety laws: Universal background checks. A national red flag law. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.” Vice President Kamala Harris echoed those same positions along with “safe storage laws.”
The Truth About Guns: We Can’t Stop Crime, So We’ll Go After Glock: New Jersey, Minnesota AGs Sue Manufacturer
In a controversial move, the attorneys general of New Jersey and Minnesota filed lawsuits on December 12 against Glock, accusing the gun manufacturer of knowingly producing pistols that can be easily modified into illegal machine guns using inexpensive conversion devices known as “Glock switches.” We’ve all seen this movie before! The lawsuits claim these switches, which can cost as little as $20 or be fabricated using a 3D printer, enable Glock handguns to fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute with a single trigger pull, according to Reuters. The New Jersey Attorney General’s office alleges that Glock has been aware of this issue since the 1980s but has failed to make design modifications to prevent such conversions.
The New York Times: A.T.F. Braces For A Likely Rollback Of Its Gun-Control Efforts
Many federal agencies are bracing for the Trump era — but few are likely to face the powerful backlash that awaits the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which pursued an aggressive gun control agenda under President Biden. The A.T.F., under its Biden-appointed director, Steven M. Dettelbach, has been more proactive on gun control than at any time in its recent history. It has pushed through rules to curb the proliferation of the untraceable homemade firearms known as ghost guns, clamped down on devices that make firearms deadlier and regulated unlicensed firearms sellers who operate at gun shows or online.
Townhall: Gun Rights Election Victory Was No Accident
As critiques from news commentators and political analysts about what went wrong with Kamala Harris’ campaign subside, one clear fact emerged from the election – candidates who champion the rights of law-abiding gun owners and support the Second Amendment were swept into office. These victories, achieved despite the Harris/Walz ticket trying to confuse voters with blatant falsehoods about their records and extreme views on gun rights, did not happen by accident. They were achieved, at least in part, in response to a broad backlash against soft-on-crime policies and assaults on the rights of peaceable citizens.
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