Weekly Spotlight 1/5/24 – 1/11/24
Election Year Has Officially Begun. It’s Time to Get Involved.
2023 came and went with several major developments for gun owners and Second Amendment supporters. The United States officially became a majority-constitutional carry nation, with 27 states now allowing law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms without a government permit. Federal judges across the nation have begun implementing the Bruen test on state gun control laws that unnecessarily restrict Second Amendment rights. We launched the USCCA-FSL Action Fund to provide you with a platform to be your own strongest advocate for the right to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community.
That is not to say that last year was without its setbacks. Numerous states and localities passed severe restrictions on gun ownership that make it nearly impossible for law-abiding gun owners to exercise their self-defense rights in public. California just implemented one of the most stringent gun control laws on record, virtually outlawing concealed carry in all public venues. And Illinois has proceeded with its ban on so-called “assault weapons” despite such laws having no impact on reducing violent crime. In short, many parts of the country are still having setbacks despite recent wins.
What these developments tell us, especially as we enter a presidential election year, is that it’s never been more urgent for law-abiding gun owners to get involved in the political process at the local, state, and national levels. Who Americans elect matters deeply. The laws those elected officials craft can directly impact your life and fundamental rights. With the Second Amendment under assault from many different directions, responsible gun owners must not only work hard to elect candidates who will protect your constitutional rights but also find ways to influence which laws are passed (or not) once ballots have been cast. That’s what the USCCA-FSL Action Fund is here for.
In 2024, we will publish regular 2A policy updates, provide tools to contact your elected officials on key votes, host events nationwide with patriotic Americans, and hopefully much more. Our mission is to provide responsible gun owners with a platform to make their voices heard and to turn the tides against efforts to strip people of their constitutional rights, doing this by creating a host of citizen lobbyists.
We hope you’ll stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved. November 5th will be here before you know it!
Visit our Advocacy page to see our top legislative priorities.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
- Los Angeles Times: Judges Let New California Ban On Guns In Many Public Places Take Effect Amid Legal Fight
A new California law barring licensed gun holders from carrying their firearms into an array of public places took effect Monday despite an ongoing legal challenge to its legitimacy. A federal district judge last month rejected major portions of the law as unconstitutional and issued an injunction blocking it from taking effect while gun holders challenge it in court. But a federal appeals court put a temporary hold on that injunction Saturday.
Only a tiny fraction of Illinois gun owners registered their AR-15s and similar firearms before the state’s ban officially took effect. Fewer than 30,000 of the state’s Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) card holders registered firearms recently classified as “assault weapons” by the end of the December 31 registration deadline, according to updated data the Illinois State Police (ISP) released on Tuesday. That means only 1.2 percent of the state’s 2.4 million documented gun owners complied with the state’s terms for allowing continued ownership of AR-15s despite enforcement of the ban beginning on Monday.
A Colorado group known for leading the charge to protect and preserve the Second Amendment announced on Monday it is suing the state over a law banning “ghost guns,” saying it is unconstitutional. The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners said in a press release that they filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the newly enacted homemade firearm ban with hopes of overturning the ban because it infringes on Second Amendment rights.
- The Washington Examiner: How everyday citizens reminded criminals why the Second Amendment matters
Throughout 2023, everyday citizens reminded would-be murderers, thieves, and sexual offenders why the Founding Fathers wrote that the “right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Amid rising anti-police sentiment and left-wing politicians pushing soft-on-crime legislation, countless people found themselves face to face with criminals wanting to do them harm, but these lawful gun owners stood their ground and defended their families, homes, and businesses.