GOP Governor Signs Bill to Thwart Biden's Crackdown on 2nd Amendment Rights
Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Monday signed legislation aimed at thwarting a half-dozen executive actions by President Joe Biden to tighten gun control.
The measure passed the Idaho House and Senate with veto-proof majorities and carried an emergency notice, meaning it went into effect with Little’s signature. The new law is retroactive to Jan. 20, the day Biden was sworn in as president.
It prevents all Idaho government entities from enforcing any executive orders, federal laws, agency orders or rules of the U.S. government involving firearms that conflict with the Idaho Constitution.
Idaho already has a law passed in 2014 providing that the state’s government cannot enforce federal actions that infringe upon Second Amendment rights.
Biden’s orders include a move to crack down on “ghost guns” — homemade firearms put together from purchased gun parts that lack serial numbers.
Biden also sought to tighten regulations on pistol-stabilizing braces like the one used in the Boulder, Colorado, supermarket shooting last month that left 10 dead, including a police officer. The braces for handguns allow them to be fired from the shoulder, like a rifle.
Biden is also pushing so-called “red flag laws” allowing family members or law enforcement to seek court orders temporarily barring people from accessing firearms if they think they pose a danger to themselves or others.
Backers of the legislation signed by Little also said it prevents Idaho gun and ammunition manufacturers from being held responsible if their products are used in crimes.
Opponents said creating legislation that conflicts with federal laws could mean the state will lose federal funding. Supporters have acknowledged that possibility but said Idaho lost no federal funding after the 2014 law was approved.
Biden has said his priorities for Congress include passing a bill that would prohibit people previously convicted of misdemeanor stalking from possessing firearms; eliminating lawsuit exemptions for gun manufacturers; and banning “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines.
He’s also called on the Senate to take up House-passed measures to close loopholes in background checks for gun purchases.
But with an evenly divided Senate and any gun control legislation requiring 60 votes to pass, Democrats would have to keep every member of their narrow majority while somehow getting votes from 10 Republicans.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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