The right to keep and bear arms is specifically framed as one that shall not be infringed. Unfortunately, too many people think “shall not be infringed” means “we can infringe upon it all we want, so long as it’s our side doing the infringement.”
That means that we keep seeing the same tired gun control bills year after year. The locations change, but the arguments rarely do.
In New Mexico, though, they’re trying something that’s relatively new, though just as wrong. They’re considering a bill that will target gun stores as well as banning the sale of most semi-automatic long guns. It’s touted as being about “accountability,” but it’s nothing of the sort. And it’s got a bonus treat tacked on.
New Mexico lawmakers’ latest push to keep guns out of dangerous hands is causing a ruckus at the Roundhouse.
A Senate committee heard emotional pleas from supporters and opponents alike Wednesday on a Democratic-backed bill aimed at slowing the state’s illegal gun trade by increasing security requirements for gun dealers and barring the sale of certain types of firearms.
After several hours of debate, the committee voted 6-4 along party lines — with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans in opposition — to advance the bill to its next assigned committee.
But the battle over the bill’s fate could be just beginning.
Republicans insisted the legislation would be unconstitutional if enacted, and House Republicans sent a letter to U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon on Wednesday asking the U.S. Department of Justice to closely monitor the legislation and weigh in if necessary.
“These restrictions directly conflict with established Supreme Court precedent recognizing that arms in common lawful use are protected by the Second Amendment,” said the letter, which was signed by all 26 House Republicans.
On the other side, a group of advocates wearing red Moms Demand Action T-shirts, pleaded with legislators to support the bill, which they said would prevent illegal gun trafficking and keep firearms out of the wrong hands by strengthening dealer securities, among other measures.
“Increasing the accountability of licensed dealers to reduce illegal firearm distribution will reduce both the senseless loss of life and economic costs,” said Amy Butel, one of the advocates who testified.
…
Specifically, the bill, Senate Bill 17, would require licensed gun dealers to keep inventory records and implement security measures. Those regulatory requirements are similar to requirements imposed on recreational cannabis dispensaries authorized by the state.
It would also prohibit the sale or possession of certain “military-grade weapons,” which include machine guns and gas-operated semiautomatic firearms.
That’s right, so-called military-grade weapons like the AR-15, which isn’t really a military weapon as it’s currently produced.
While the Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on assault weapon bans, the truth is that under the history, text, and tradition standard laid out in Bruen, there’s no way to defend it as constitutional.
And then we get to the regulatory requirements for gun stores.
Moms Demand Action claims that it will prevent illegal gun trafficking, but while gun stores are often the targets of thieves, record-keeping isn’t the issue there. They already keep records and can inform law enforcement of what guns are taken. The security requirements, though, are what’s telling.
The truth is that it will require gun stores to drop a lot of money very quickly in order to comply with them. As most gun stores are mom-and-pop operations that operate on pretty thin margins, they’re unlikely to have the extra cash lying around to pay for the requirements.
One dealer quoted in the article above estimates it’ll cost between $20,000 and $30,000 to meet those requirements. That’s not chump change for most small businesses, especially gun stores that still have to obtain inventory, meet regulatory demands from the ATF, compete in a crowded market, and still sell guns and accessories.
And why?
Because of this:
The bill was prompted by a report issued last year by the New York-based Everytown for Gun Safety that found that of the 4,847 guns used in crimes in New Mexico that were recovered and traced by law enforcement officials, about 78% were originally purchased from licensed firearm dealers, primarily within the state.
Everytown drops reports like this specifically to drive legislation. What that report didn’t do is find where any of those licensed firearm dealers did anything wrong in selling those guns. The fact that most came from a small number of stores is used as de facto proof that those stores are doing something wrong, rather than maybe that’s just the store closest to where the straw buyers live or something like that.
The truth is, though, the report was an excuse.
This is about making it untenable to sell guns in New Mexico. This is about making it way too expensive to stay in business, thus depriving people of their right to keep and bear arms via regulating gun stores out of business, as opposed to just banning guns outright.
The fact that this also bans the sale of so-called assault weapons is just the icing on the cake for them.
Editor’s Note: The radical left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
Help us continue to report on and expose the Democrats’ gun control policies and schemes. Join Bearing Arms VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Read the full article here
