While polls repeatedly indicate that most Americans, including most gun owners, support a wide variety of common sense gun laws, the gun lobby remains intent on serving the demands of a radical fringe. In Extremism in Action, LCAV highlights particularly egregious efforts by the gun lobby to further its outrageous agenda, including extreme federal and state firearms legislation, litigation that advances an expansive (and meritless) view of the Second Amendment, and other conduct that jeopardizes the safety of Americans across the United States.
The "gun control" debate in America is frequently framed as an intractable battle between two equally-extreme sides. By chronicling the gun lobby's outrageous conduct below, Extremism in Action demonstrates that, although there may be two sides to the firearms debate, one of them is advancing a platform that is out of step with the public's desire for freedom from gun violence.
LCAV will be updating this page regularly with new examples of extremism in action.
Last updated June 13, 2011
Indiana Prohibits School Corporations, Public Libraries, Public Transportation Entities, and Some Local Hospital Authorities from Restricting Firearms
A new Indiana law makes it virtually impossible for local government entities to regulate firearms. Indiana already had strict laws preempting local authority to regulate firearms, but the new measure makes these laws even worse by expressly prohibiting political subdivisions — defined to include school corporations and public libraries – from restricting firearm possession. In addition, the law now prohibits local governments from restricting concealed weapon permit holders from carrying firearms in most government buildings.
Florida to Punish Doctors for Asking About Guns In the Home
A new Florida law interferes with one of the most important professional relationships in our society – the doctor/patient relationship. Florida now threatens health care practitioners with disciplinary action for making routine inquiries about guns in the homes of their patients. The original version of the bill was even more outrageous. In the version that was first introduced, health care practitioners who inquired into or recorded information about gun ownership were guilty of a felony and could be punished with up to five years in prison and a fine up to $5 million. The medical community is, understandably, outraged and has filed a lawsuit, along with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, to have the law struck down. Three other states, Alabama, Minnesota, and North Carolina, introduced similar measures this year.
Arizona Names a State Gun
With shocking disregard for the victims of the January shooting in Tucson, Arizona's governor signed into law, on April 28th, a bill adding a state gun to the official state emblems.
Oklahoma Declares an Annual Holiday To Honor the Second Amendment
The legislature of Oklahoma wasted state resources on a bill creating a frivolous new annual holiday to be known as "Second Amendment Day" commemorating the Supreme Court's decision that individuals have the right to keep handguns in the home for self-defense. The Oklahoma governor signed the bill into law on April 14th.
Indiana, Tennessee and North Dakota Make it Easier to Bring Guns to Work
Indiana and North Dakota have enacted new laws that allow employees to sue if they are asked about gun possession. Indiana's law, enacted April 15th, allows job applicants and current employees to sue any public or private employer for requiring them to disclose information about firearms ownership or use. The law allows courts to award actual and punitive damages. North Dakota's law, enacted the same day, allows employees and customers to sue businesses that inquire whether they have a firearm in a vehicle parked on the premises. The new Tennessee law, enacted March 31st, provides that the decision to allow concealed weapon permit holders to carry handguns on individual, corporation or government property does not constitute a state occupational safety and health hazard.
Kansas, Mississippi and Utah Say Guns in Schools Okay
Kansas, Mississippi and Utah have all recently enacted laws that allow concealed weapon permit holders to carry loaded, concealed firearms in or on the grounds of elementary and secondary schools. The Kansas law (signed April 8th) allows permit holders to carry on the grounds of public and private schools instructing children in grades K-12. Utah’s law (signed March 21st) is similar, but also allows permit holders to carry in buildings that house preschools and daycare centers. The Mississippi law (signed March 11th) goes even further, allowing permit holders who opt to obtain minimal firearms safety training to carry concealed guns in K-12 school buildings, at college, professional and K-12 school athletic events, in bars, churches, and other areas where firearms were previously prohibited. By allowing guns in places where alcohol is consumed, where families congregate, and where young children are required to spend their days, these legislators are jeopardizing the safety of state residents.
In Show of Disrespect for the Over 200 State Residents Killed by Firearms Each Year, Utah Honors the
Browning M1911 Pistol as the State’s Official Firearm
Utah achieved the dubious distinction of becoming the first state to create an official state gun on March 16th. Legislatures in three other states – Pennsylvania, Arizona and Alaska – are considering bills declaring official state guns. Arizona and Alaska have the fifth and second highest gun death rates in the nation, respectively. Rather than addressing this urgent public safety matter, these legislatures are spending scarce state resources to glamorize firearms.
Wyoming: Permit No Longer Necessary to Carry Concealed Guns in Public
On March 2nd, Wyoming’s governor signed into law a bill that allows concealed guns to be carried in public without a permit. The new law abolishes the state’s mandatory permitting scheme (permits are now optional), which required applicants to pass a background check and demonstrate familiarity with a firearm. The permitting scheme gave local law enforcement discretion to deny a permit when there was reasonable ground to believe that an applicant was likely to be a danger to self or the community. Wyoming is the fourth state, along with Vermont, Alaska, and Arizona, to take the reckless step to allow concealed weapons to be carried without a license.
