Tomorrow, the House General Laws Committee will hear House Bill 1607, to ensure Second Amendment rights remain protected during states of emergency, and House Bills 1698 and 1912, to reduce areas where law-abiding citizens are left defenseless. Please submit Witness Forms in support of House Bills 1607, 1698, and 1912.
House Bill 1607 prohibits the state, government officials and agencies, or local governments from prohibiting, restricting, or reducing operations of firearm businesses during declared states of emergency or disasters.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many anti-gun officials around the country, at both state and local levels of government, took the opportunity to unilaterally suspend Second Amendment rights by shutting down gun stores and ranges. Unfortunately, this coincided with many Americans trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights for the first time during that period of uncertainty, and resulted in them being unable to access arms, ammunition, or proper training. HB 1607 protects the exercise of a constitutional right from such politically motivated attacks and ensures that citizens have those rights when they need them most.
House Bill 1698 and House Bill 1912 repeal the prohibition in state law against carrying firearms for self-defense in places of worship. This empowers private property owners to make such decisions regarding security on their own, rather than the government mandating a one-size-fits-all solution. So-called “gun-free zones” only disarm law-abiding citizens, while criminals ignore such arbitrary boundaries.
Again, please submit Witness Forms in support of House Bills 1607, 1698, and 1912.
