Free Republic

Does your state support your 2nd Amendment rights – or make it exceedingly difficult to keep and bear arms? We’ve ranked the worst states to be a gun owner by analyzing each state’s current laws, upcoming laws, concealed carry guidelines, self-defense statutes, and 2A-centric taxes. #1 Hawaii #2 California #3 New York #4 Illinois #5 New Jersey #6 Connecticut #7 Maryland #8 Massachusetts #9 Rhode Island #10 Michigan #11 Washington #12 Minnesota #13 Colorado #14 Nebraska #15 New Mexico #16 Pennsylvania #17 Oregon #18 Delaware #19 Wisconsin #20 Vermont #21 Virginia #22 Nevada #23 Ohio #24 Maine #25 North Carolina

The Louisiana legislature is in the process of strengthening the current state preemption law regarding weapons and the right to keep and bear arms. Local governments seeking to push gun control have been clever about finding ways to restrict people’s right to keep and bear arms in ways not foreseen by previous preemption laws. For example, in Iowa, the Dubuque City Council voted to create a zoning ordinance to prohibit otherwise legitimate gun sales. In Montana, the city government of Missoula, dominated by the University of Montana, voted to require government approval of all firearm sales in the city. In...

On April 11, 2024, a lawsuit was filed against Rob Bonta in his capacity as the Attorney General of California. The lawsuit contends California infringes on the rights protected by the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights by prohibiting United States citizens who are non-residents of California from exercising rights protected by the Second Amendment in the state. 2. California, however, prevents law-abiding citizens of the United States who do not reside in California from exercising their constitutionally protected right to carry loaded, operable firearms in public. State law generally prohibits individuals from carrying firearms either openly or concealed...

A Beaver County woman shot and killed a man who broke into her home, police said.

The Department of Justice has issued a press release showing that, over five years, from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021, the number of firearms sold by unlicensed dealers in the USA was less than 1 of 10,000 sold in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s adjusted calculations during the five-year period, the number of firearms sold through the NICS system was 14 million in 2017, 13.5 million in 2018, 13.6 million in 2019, 21.1 million in 2020, and 18.5 million in 2021, for a total of 80.7 million over...

Report Highlights: • The U.S. has more than 82 million lawful firearm owners. • 53% of the 21 states with restrictive concealed carry laws have violent crime rates higher than the national average. • 55% of states with a violent crime rate below the national average have permitless carry. • Between 60,000 and 2.5 million Americans use firearms for self-defense each year. • 40% of criminals convicted of crimes while in possession of a firearm were already prohibited from carrying firearms. • A 2018 study shows that 68% of those convicted of crimes while in possession of a firearm were...

Report highlights: • An average of 10,252 firearms were used in homicides between 2015 and 2019. Handguns were involved in 59% of homicides in 2020. • Handguns were used in 62% of homicides between 2015 and 2019. • Most mass shooters used firearms chambered in 9mm and .223 Remington in 2023 and 2024 (to date), resulting in 45% of all deaths. • 1 in 6 criminal assaults involving a firearm results in death. • Gunshot victims were 4.5 times more likely to die when shot by larger caliber bullets (.357 magnum, .40, .44 magnum, .45, 10 mm, and 7.62 ×...

In this article, scroll the photos for each "talking point". That way, they get maximum ka-ching from their advertisers for about 18 elementary- school quality paragraphs. But also don't forget who they are talking about.

On February 15, 2024, a plea agreement was reached in the silencer case in the Western District of Louisiana. In the case, Brennan James Comeaux had been charged with possession of five homemade silencers, two silver-colored and three black-colored. A warrant had been issued to search Comeax’s home to find the silencers, based on probable cause. A motion to dismiss had been filed in the case, contending the portions of the National Firearms Act (NFA) and later statutes violated the Second Amendment of the Constitution based on the guidance of the Bruen decision published by the Supreme Court on June...

During an interview with Univision that took place last Wednesday and aired on Tuesday, President Joe Biden stated that he would consider taking further executive action on guns and criticized 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump because Trump “famously told the NRA that, don’t worry, no one’s going to touch your guns” if Trump won. “[Trump] famously told the NRA that, don’t worry, no one’s going to touch your guns if I — from the very beginning, I used to teach the Second Amendment in law school, from the very beginning, there were limitations. … And — but...

Over the course of a decade filled with political drama and dire predictions, Ohio legislators introduced seven separate bills in an attempt to bring concealed carry to Ohio.Finally, on Jan. 8, 2004, House Bill 12 made it to the desk of Gov. Bob Taft, who signed the bill, and made Ohio the 46th state to legalize concealed carry. The new law went into effect 20 years ago today, on April 8, 2004.Buckeye Firearms Association volunteers played a key role in this battle for constitutional rights, and stood beside the governor as he signed the bill into law.However, the battle over...

Report Highlights: • There are 26 states with permitless concealed carry freedoms • Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of firearm-related homicides even though it has strict carry laws • 83% of states with permitless concealed carry have a homicide rate at or below the national average • 45% of states with no permitless concealed carry laws have homicide rates above the national average • 3 out of 5 of the safest five states in the U.S. have permitless concealed carry • 2 out of 5 of the top five most dangerous states in the U.S. have permitless concealed carry,...

We graded Illinois’ candidates based on their previous 2A voting records, public statements on their constituents owning firearms, and their willingness to focus on 2A issues. Given our research on these criteria, we’ve assigned the following grades to those currently running for office: A – Joshua Loyd, James Marter B – Jerry Evans, Joe McGraw C – Mark Rice D – Nikki Budzinski F – Raja Krishnamoorthi, Bill Foster, Lauren Underwood, Eric Sorensen

Pennsylvania is a key battleground state in the 2024 elections, with one federal Senate seat up for grabs and 17 Congressional House districts. The following candidates have been graded based on their willingness to protect and secure Americans' Second Amendment rights: A - Ryan Mackenzie, Scott Perry, Mike Kelly B - David McCormick D - Brian Fitzpatrick, Neil Young, James Hayes, Preston Nouri, Rob Mercuri F - Bob Casey Jr., Ashley Ehasz, Chrissy Houlahan, Susan Wild, Matt Cartwright, Janelle Stelson, Summer Lee, Chris Deluzio

On March 11, 2024, Dr. John Lott debated the eminent law professor Sanford Levinson on the subject: Was the Second Amendment a Mistake? The debate lasted about an hour. It was held at the University of Wisconsin and started at 6:30 p.m. The debate was sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI). The moderator was Professor Ryan Owens.Unlike much of what we see in politics, the debate was cordial and civilized. There was no student protest to prevent Dr. Lott from being able to debate Professor Levinson. Dr. Lott is an eminent scholar on gun control issues. Dr. Levison is...

On October 16, 2020, a number of plaintiffs, including Madison Lara, the Second Amendment Foundation, and others, filed a lawsuit claiming Pennsylvania law, which forbids 18-20-year-olds from obtaining a concealed carry permit or from openly carrying outside of the home during an emergency was an infringement of the rights protected by the Second Amendment. This was nearly two years before the Supreme Court decision of Bruen. On April 16, 2021, the District Court ruled against them. On April 21, 2021, the plaintiffs appealed the decision by the Pennsylvania District Court to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The...

Key Statistics: • There have been 196 accidental deaths related to firearms so far in 2023. • Accidental shooting deaths have declined from 1,491 per year (1979-1998) to an average of 606 (1999-2023). • 728 accidental shootings (including injuries or death) occur on average yearly. • 1% of all firearm-related deaths in 2022 were unintentional. • Individuals aged 14-30 are consistently more likely to die of accidental shootings than any other age group.

On January 14, 2023, David J. Nastri, Esq. filed suit against Katie Dykes as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. Nastri challenged the constitutionality of Connecticut’s ban on the carrying of handguns in Connecticut state parks for the purpose of self-defense. From the complaint: This is an action for declaratory and injunctive relief that challenges the constitutionality of Connecticut’s state regulation that bans the carrying of handguns in Connecticut state parks for the purpose of self-defense. Connecticut’s ban on handguns in state parks cannot pass constitutional muster under the historical standard that the Supreme Court announced...

We graded Alabama's candidates based on their previous 2A voting record, public statements on their constituents owning firearms, and their willingness to focus on 2A issues. Given our research on this criteria, we've assigned the following grades: A - Caroleene Dobson - Running for U.S. House District 2 B - Dick Brewbaker - Running for U.S. House District 2 D - Robin Litaker - Running for U.S. House District 7 F - Terrycina Sewell - Running for U.S. House District 7

Here are the highlights: A - Ted Cruz, Brandon Herrara, Jay Furman B - Monica De La Cruz, Mayra Flores C - Lazaro Garza Jr. D - Dan Crenshaw, Peter Filler, Tony Gonzales, Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez Jr. F - Colin Allred, Michelle Vallejo