New Gun Laws Take Effect Across the Country
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.02.13
As the calendar nears Independence Day, several states entered the month of July with the formal introduction of new gun-related laws.
Foremost among these are Colorado’s strict gun control regulations taking effect, despite ongoing opposition from gun owners and even law enforcement officials. The two laws that went into effect for the state on Monday were among the most controversial: the first imposed adjusted background checks on gun purchases (including private transactions); the second law effectively banned magazines with capacities over 15 rounds, leading firearm accessories manufacturer Magpul to announce its departure from the state.
Likewise, parts of Connecticut’s gun package kicked in at the start of July. According to the Associated Press, Connecticut residents looking to purchase long guns and ammunition will have to contend with a new application process, including separate eligibility certificates. People who have in the past been committed to a psychiatric facility will be seeing longer wait times for any kind of firearm permit and an additional $1 million will be siphoned into the state’s firearm trafficking task force.
These strides towards stricter gun control are being met with heavy opposition. Key Colorado gun control supporters like state Senate President John Morse and Senator Angela Giron are facing recall elections this fall, while Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper is expected to feel fallout come election time. Much like in New York, Second Amendment advocates are bringing lawsuits against gun control laws. Magpul recently joined 53 Colorado Sheriffs in legal action against the new regulations and are donating a portion of their profits to fund the action. Shortly before their products were illegal to purchase, Magpul gave away 1,500 30-round magazines at a festival in Glendale, Colorado as a last hurrah for their local customers.
“If this suit can get a mag ban struck down as unconstitutional, the nation may see a ripple effect across other states who choose not to trust their citizens with their natural rights,” Magpul stated on their Facebook page. “That makes this fight worth fighting even more than just the implications for CO, which would have been enough to get us involved.”
Connecticut will be facing an economic loss as firearm manufacturers eye setting up roots elsewhere. Gun makers PTR Industries and Stag Arms have already begun preparations for a move. These migrations are not lost on prospective states like Texas, which would gladly welcome new industries.
“These are good jobs. Those are skilled tradesmen. Whether they’re the welders, the machine operators, machine programmers, toolmakers, these are the kind of manufacturing jobs that used to be the backbone of the northeast economy,” PTR CEO Josh Fiorini said after the company announced its move to South Carolina, “and the rest of the country is saying ‘Hey, if you don’t want ‘em, we’ll take ‘em.’ ”
Not all the new laws in July are about gun control however. In fact, CBS reports that at least 18 states have loosened their gun laws. In Tennessee handgun permit holders can now store firearms and ammunition in their vehicles regardless of where they are parked, while Indiana gun owners can keep a handgun in their automobile with no license. Mississippi now allows its residents to openly carry firearms without a gun permit.
On a national scale, the attention is now turned to gun bills in California and New Jersey, as well as a proposed concealed carry bill in Illinois. The lawsuit against New York’s SAFE Act is still underway, and as of May this year 52 of the state’s counties have passed resolutions opposing the Act or directing local law enforcement to ignore the new laws.
