There is growing concern across the US that the liberal politicians in Washington, DC have an outsized impact on our Civil Rights. Nowhere is this more obvious than with the Biden Administration’s efforts to marginalize and deny the Second Amendment (2A). As we watch urban areas crumble and die, the politicians do what politicians always do: avoid the difficult solutions and find a scapegoat for their failed policies. My friends, violence wrought by drugs, poverty, and despair is transformed by the politician into “gun violence” and it becomes your fault. Somehow, law-abiding gun owners become responsible for the acts of criminals.

To battle this growing Federal attack against your Civil Rights, 61% of the counties in the US have passed some form of 2A Sanctuary legislation, and many States have declared that every county in their State is a 2A Sanctuary. On June 17, 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the “Second Amendment Sanctuary State Act,” making Texas the 15th 2A Sanctuary State. Typically 2A Sanctuary legislation forbids Local or State Authorities from cooperating with Federal Authorities while they deny you your 2A Civil Rights.

In fact, Louisiana would have joined the growing rank of States who have drawn a line in the sand and become the 16th 2A Sanctuary State but for the actions of a single man, Sen. Gary L. Smith, Jr. (D, Norco). Sen. Smith is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary B Committee.

HB 118 “Second Amendment Sanctuary” (not to be confused with SB 118 “Constitutional Carry”) passed in the Louisiana House on a vote of 70 Yeas to 30 Nays and was referred to the Senate Judiciary B Committee. The Senate Committee split along party lines with 3 Yeas and 3 Nays to refer HB 118 to the full Senate for their vote. However, Sen. Smith killed the bill at his Committee so that it would not be heard by the full Senate.

The Firearms Professionals of Louisiana set the record straight by distributing this flyer. You can download this flyer by clicking on the image below.

As the Chinese curse goes, “May you live in interesting times.” Well, we certainly do. At a time when each Louisianan is concerned with his or her safety and the safety of their loved ones, US Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) is pushing a massive gun grab bill in the US House of Representatives that would leave law-abiding Americans defenseless.

Many of our LSA members have heard of Johnson’s bill, H.R. 5717, the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act.  Truly, there is nothing innovative in the bill. Rep. Johnson copied proposals already offered by his colleagues in Congress and packaged them into one bill with his name on it. This is the same approach adopted by failed Presidential candidate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

H.R. 5717 includes all sorts of anti-Civil Rights schemes like banning semi-automatic firearms, a federal licensing scheme for all gun purchasers, “universal” background checks, unconstitutional red flag laws, and other anti-gun proposals that have already been introduced. These proposals are part of the Michael Bloomberg anti-Civil Rights gun control play book, all of which we are seeing being proposed at the State level by Louisiana Representatives that are on the Bloomberg payroll.  Remember, Bloomberg bought the Virginia legislature and he will certainly try that here and in other pro-Civil Rights states. A discussion on gun legality is also extended to the subject of Opinion Piece: Open Carry vs. Concealed Carry. Click to find out what it is!

The real danger from these proposed laws is a government intent on disarming its citizens to impose its will on it subjects. Across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic we are seeing all sorts of malevolent behavior by State’s Governments. Some anti-gun lawmakers have deemed gun stores as “non-essential,” shut down issuance of firearm permits, and, in some locations, they have created extreme delays for background checks required for firearm transfers. Some jurisdictions have even put added restrictions on firearm transfers, making it all but impossible for many law-abiding Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights.