Democrats Employing New and Innovative Measures to Violate Your Gun Rights

How much further will the anti-gunner crowd go?

Photo by steve woods on Unsplash

This article originally appeared on Liberty Nation.

After the Supreme Court’s decision in New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which essentially blew up one of the left’s favorite methods of limiting the right to keep and bear arms, blue states are trotting out new ways to enforce onerous gun control laws. While the court’s ruling has effectively eliminated “may issue” states in which officials could be more stingy with issuing concealed carry licenses, Democrats are trying other avenues to limit the number of law-abiding Americans who can arm themselves.

Blue States Continue Gun Control Agenda

After the Bruen decision was handed down, states like California, New York, and New Jersey passed a slew of measures designed to curtail the carrying of firearms in their states. They enacted legislation limiting the places one could legally have a firearm. In essence, they responded to the Supreme Court’s ruling by saying “Okay, you can get a license, but we won’t let you carry your gun anywhere.”

These laws are already facing legal challenges from pro-gun rights groups, who argue they violate the Second Amendment. But another method the anti-gun crowd is employing involves making it more cost-prohibitive and time-consuming for people to get a license to carry.

In California, state law “establishes a floor of $44 to be delivered to the state by the local licensing authority” and imposes a limit of $120 to obtain the permit, according to The Reload. It also allows local governments to require a psychological evaluation and imposes a 16-hour training requirement for which the applicant must also pay.

The city of La Verne revamped its application process to make it more expensive for residents to obtain licenses. It is charging over $1,000 for all first-time applicants. The Reload noted:

“The breakdown of fees is listed on the local police department’s website as $398 for ‘processing,’ a $150 administrative fee, a $93 licensing fee, $20 for fingerprint scanning, $150 for a department-approved psychological review, a $250 estimated cost for an approved safety and training course, and a $20 fee for the physical CCW card. All in, the city’s residents would have to fork over $1,081 just to carry a firearm in public for self-defense.”

New York allows licensing agencies a wide berth when determining how much they can charge for concealed carry permits. This means that the amount a New Yorker might spend to exercise their Second Amendment rights vary depending on the area in which they reside.

The New York Police Department requires applicants to cough up $340 for the initial application fee and for renewals, which are required every three years. It also levies $88.25 for fingerprinting and background checks. Residents are required to pay for an 18-hour training course, which can also cost hundreds of dollars.

Finally, we have New Jersey. The Garden State has a $200 application fee, along with another $20 to perform a criminal background check. One must pay $50 to receive the permit and also cover the costs of the training required by local police. Each department can impose its own fee for the training.

Increasing the burden even more, those who carry concealed will be required by law to “maintain liability insurance coverage insuring against loss resulting from liability imposed by law for bodily injury, death, and property damage sustained by any person arising out of the ownership, maintenance, operation, or use of a firearm carried in public.” The Reload notes that “[b]ecause such a policy does not yet exist, and may never exist, the additional costs to comply are still to be determined.”

Discrimination and Constitutional Violations

By raising the amount of money required to exercise one’s right to bear arms, these states are engaging in a brazen attempt to prevent Americans from possessing the means by which they could defend themselves if the situation arises.

These new fees will be especially difficult for low-income black Americans, who typically live in areas with higher crime rates. These requirements call to mind the Saturday Night Special laws passed in the 1960s, which banned the sale of cheap handguns. The laws were specifically intended to prevent African Americans from becoming gun owners, as many could not afford to purchase the higher-priced firearms.

With all their talk of “equity” and “systemic racism,” one might think progressive politicians would be loath to enact measures that disproportionately oppress black Americans. Indeed, if this were truly about equity, would they not offer reduced fees for those who earn less than a certain amount each year? Each of these states has these types for programs for those wishing to obtain driver’s licenses, even though driving is not a natural right specifically protected by the US Constitution.

Nevertheless, the anti-gun left still maintains that fewer law-abiding Americans arming themselves is somehow making civilians safer from violent criminals, the vast majority of whom commit gun crimes using illegally-obtained firearms. As with the other Second Amendment infringing laws being put into place by Democrats, it is not a stretch to think these will also face challenges in court.

---

My first book “Chasing Liberty: A Journey from Partisan Politics to the Fight for Freedom” will be published soon!

In the book, I tell my story of how I came to the liberty movement and how others who are disaffected with the Republican and Democratic parties can begin promoting liberty at the local level. Please place your pre-order and support my work! I appreciate y’all! Be sure to leave your email or physical address when you pre-order!

You can pre-order directly for $14.99 for the ebook and $19.99 for a print copy through the following:

CashApp: $jeffontheright

Venmo: @jeffontheright

PayPal: @freshperspectivepod