Passage of Bill Limiting State Enforcement of Federal Gun Laws is Huge

April 8, 2021 T. Arthur Mason North Dakota

I’ve written a number of times this Legislative Session about vital gun legislation and the need for the North Dakota Legislature to get their crap together on the issue of protecting our gun rights. I’m ecstatic to report that on the most important gun bill of the 2021 session, they have. The Senate passed House Bill 1383 by a wide margin of 41-5 today.

I originally wrote about this bill back in January. In its original form, HB 1383 would have prohibited any state agency, political subdivision, or law enforcement officer from participating in “the investigation, prosecution, or enforcement of a violation of a federal statute, order, rule, or regulation purporting to regulate a firearm, firearm accessory, or firearm ammunition”. In a nutshell, North Dakota would have been forbidden from participating in the enforcement of anything related to the feds and guns.

While the bill passed the House on a 59-34 vote, at the time, that wasn’t enough to kick in the emergency clause if it becomes law. Too many TransRepublicans voted against it. Regardless, it was still enough to send it over to the Senate.

In the name of compromise and giving HB 1383 a fighting chance on the Senate side, there were some amendments made to the bill after it crossed over from the House. Namely, the following:

  1. They removed the section that included “firearm accessory”.
  2. Added the emergency clause back in.
  3. Limited its scope to include any “federal statute, order, rule, or regulation purporting to regulate a firearm” that was or is enacted after January 1, 2021.
  4. Added a provision that allows state and local law enforcement to assist a federal agency or official for offenses “that firearms are incidental to, including a drug offense, homicide, assault, kidnapping, sex offense, or human trafficking.”
  5. Added a provision that allows state and local law enforcement to assist a federal agency or official “if the investigation also pertains to a felony violation of state law.”

Some folks aren’t happy about all the Senate amendments, but they were a necessity if the bill was to have any chance of passing. Why? Because the changes got law enforcement on board with the legislation. Even in its current form, this is a huge win for law-abiding North Dakotan’s who love their gun rights.

Just today, President Joe Biden announced a slate of gun control actions via executive order. Those surely won’t be the end of what his administration does. In fact, it’s just the beginning. If you don’t believe me, then check out Biden’s gun control agenda. And don’t forget about HR 127 — the “Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act” — which has been introduced to the 117th United States Congress. It’s the kind of bill anti-gunners dream about.

Today’s vote was very timely. As a state, we must have a mechanism in place to push back against federal overreach on guns from the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress. And this is it.

The bill will now go back to the House. If they concur with the changes, it will then go to Governor Doug Burgum’s desk where we’ll need your emails telling him to sign it into law.

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Sources:

  1. https://theminutemanblog.com/2021/02/03/nd-legislature-better-get-their-crap-together-on-the-gun-issue/
  2. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/67-2021/bill-index/bi1383.html
  3. https://theminutemanblog.com/2021/01/28/becker-takes-3rd-shot-at-limiting-enforcement-of-feds-gun-laws/
  4. https://theminutemanblog.com/2021/02/24/the-nd-legislators-who-voted-against-protecting-gun-rights/
  5. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-guns-remarks-executive-actions
  6. https://joebiden.com/gunsafety/
  7. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/127/text

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About T. Arthur Mason 878 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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