Well, the wave of anti-gun rights legislation has struck the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
First, we have SB 92, which seems to be OK, but has a section that would have made automatic weapons, SBR’s and SBS’s, and “plastic fantastics” illegal. I wrote this to my state senator, Julie Denton:
Dear Senator Denton,
It was with some disappointment that I read section 2 of SB 92, which would amend KRS chapter 237 to make it a felony to possess automatic weapons, short-barreled shotguns and rifles, and any notional firearms which can be made transparent to security apparatus such as an X-Ray.
While the rest of the bill seems to be in line with the duty of the Commonwealth to protect the rights of its citizens and keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, section 2 does nothing that will increase security and safety in the Commonwealth.
– Fully automatic firearms are already heavily regulated items, and possession of one without going through an extensive criminal background check or owning one manufactured since 1986 is already a felony. In addition, they are rarely, if ever, used in crimes in the Commonwealth.
– Owners of automatic weapons tend, in the vast majority, to be law abiding citizens who have a rather expensive hobby. In addition, events such as the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot bring in hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists to the Louisville area every year, along with their money. Making automatic weapons illegal in the Commonwealth would make the law-abiding citizens who own them divest themselves of an investment that cost them thousands of dollars, and drive tourism dollars away from the Commonwealth without having any positive impact on safety or security.
– Ownership of a short barreled rifle or shotgun also requires that the buyer undergo an extensive criminal background check. Possessing such a firearm without going through proper procedures is already a felony, so adding this law will do nothing that will increase safety and security to the Commonwealth.
– I challenge the authors and sponsors of this poorly thought-out piece of legislative tripe to give me a commonly found example of a firearm, assembled or disassembled, that does not have enough metal in it to set off a metal detector or be seen on the X-Ray machine at an airport or a courthouse. Even modern pistols that have bodies made with polymers still have a large amount of their parts, including the barrel and chamber, made out of steel. The existence of weapons that will not show up in security systems is a myth that has been thrown around by anti-rights extremists since the 1980s and they have yet to show an example of such an object.
I respectfully request that you work to have section 2 of SB 92 removed from the bill, and if it is not, to vote against it in the event that it comes to a vote on the floor of the Senate. Our rights, both those that deal with firearms and others, have already had enough abuse. We should not be restricting them further.
Respectfully,
Daddy J. Bear
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Not to be outdone, the House has also had a bill, HB 265, introduced that will require universal background checks, “safe” storage, and a plethora of other anti-rights measures. I wrote this to my Representative, Ron Crimm:
Dear Representative Crimm,
Daddy J. Bear
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If you’re in Kentucky, now’s the time to make your voice heard.
DaddyBear’s Den 
derfreiheit
/ February 8, 2013Mr. Riggs,
Kentucky HB 265 was brought to my attention today.
For all but a few provisions, this bill is an unconscionable infringement on the right of Kentuckians to keep and bear arms. The registration and logging provisions are the most egregious.
I urge you top oppose HB 265 in its entirety.
Kentucky has a long heritage of safe, responsible firearm ownership. Its part of the reason I made my home here. Please oppose any and all restrictions on our right to keep and bear arms during your term in office.
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derfreiheit
/ February 8, 2013Mr. McGarvey,
Kentucky Senate bill number 92 was brought to my attention today.
At first glance this bill would appear to strengthen the rights of Kentucky residents to keep and bear arms. However Section 2 is quite alarming.
It would ban ownership and possession of automatic weapons, short-barreled rifles, short-barreld shotguns, and a rather obscure group of firearms capable of not being seen by a metal detector. On the surface this seems reasonable until you realize that:
– ownership of these firearms is already heavily regulated at the federal level. It requires a tax, an extensive background check, and the price of such firearms is quite expensive for all but the most dedicated or wealthy firearm owner
– these firearms are rarely, if at all, used in crimes
– such firearms are a key feature of the bi-annual Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot. An event which draws thousands of tourists to Kentucky twice a year. If you have never been I highly recommend it. Section 2 would simply make it impossible to have this event, Kentucky would lose a lot of money.
I urge you to amend SB 92 to remove Section 2. The rest of the bill is quite good and will strengthen our rights in Kentucky. IF section 2 is removed, please support the remainder of the bill. If section 2 is not removed, oppose the bill in its entirety.
Kentucky has a long heritage of safe, responsible firearm ownership. Its part of the reason I made my home here. Please oppose any and all restrictions on our right to keep and bear arms during your term in office.
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derfreiheit
/ February 8, 2013No response yet. My state senator is new, doesn’t look much older than I am. I want to see how he responds.
My state rep was NRA A rated during the last election and I think he goes to my church. If his response is anything but opposed to HB265 I will apply other pressure.
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