The National Rifle Association (NRA) got their Christmas wishes fulfilled early this year with the election of Donald Trump, who could wind up being the most pro-gun President of the past century. But what exactly do the NRA and other pro-gun activists want in the way of legislation concerning gun rights?
Concealed Carry Anywhere, Anytime
NRA chief Wayne LaPierre said shortly after the election:
“Gun owners made this election happen.”
And that means the NRA and other ammosexuals are salivating as they consider all the new laws or rollbacks of existing laws which deal with guns.
The NRA’s top priority is getting a Supreme Court justice who supports the Second Amendment unconditionally. But they also plan to push the issue of what is called “reciprocity.” This would allow law-abiding gun owners to carry their guns out-of-state. And as Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles recently noted, the votes are there to pass such a bill:
“The NRA will put a lot of weight behind reciprocity. There’s a sense the votes are there. There are a enough Democrats that come from states where gun rights are very strong that may break with their party on this issue.”
Schools As Gun-Free Zones? Gone!
Gun rights advocates have long fantasized about eliminating the restriction of guns on school campuses. Some are even proposing that teachers be allowed to carry weapons to class. That way we can have Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and AK-47s coexisting among our children as they learn.
Weaken Background Check Requirements
The Gun Owners of America say they want Trump to weaken federal background check requirements for existing concealed carry permit holders. Michael Hammond, legislative counsel at the Gun Owners of America, noted:
“Trump could announce that he is using prosecutorial discretion in the same way that Obama used it for illegals.”
Apparently Hammond is totally immune to the concepts of irony and hypocrisy, as many conservatives railed against President Obama’s use of prosecutorial discretion yet now want to see it done by Trump.
Will It Work?
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) says they don’t expect to get everything they want. Larry Keane, NSSF’s senior vice president and general counsel, told the Hill:
“You have to be realistic. Just because Trump won the election and Republicans control both chambers of Congress doesn’t mean you can walk in there with your Christmas list and get the pony.”
Pro-gun advocates are aware that the Senate will be a challenge because the GOP only holds 52 seats in the upper house of Congress. All procedural votes in the Senate require 60 votes.
One thing seems certain: the NRA and other pro-gun groups are delighted by the thought of all they can accomplish over the next four years.
This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org