After all the attention being directed towards school shootings, legislators are under pressure to “do something.”
State Senator Trip Pittman’s attempt is … something.
The Baldwin County Republican proposed, and passed out of the judiciary committee, a bill that would “allow an individual to restrict his or her firearm purchase ability by voluntarily adding his or her own name to the Voluntary Alabama Firearms Do Not Sell List.”
This bill is as absurd as it sounds:
“Under existing law, a person who fears that he or she may become a risk to himself or herself or others is not allowed to restrict his or her own legal ability to purchase firearms. This bill would allow an individual to restrict his or her firearm purchase ability by voluntarily adding his or her own name to the Voluntary Alabama Firearms Do Not Sell List, thereby prohibiting the sale of firearms to that individual.”
Why this matters: The bill comes from a study done at the University of Alabama, where 46 percent of respondents said they would surrender their right to purchase a firearm. The actual effectiveness of this legislation seems to be almost none, as the person who surrenders their rights could get their rights back after a waiting period. To pretend their are large groups of mentally unstable people clamoring to run to the government and announce their conditions is laughable. This legislation may make people feel like they are doing something, but they are not.
The details:
— Pittman’s bill passed the judiciary committee five to three.
— There are currently zero states that have similar legislation to allow the surrendering of an individuals 2nd Amendment rights.
— Individuals can have their name removed from the list, but the bill requires a waiting period of up to 21 days.
— Anyone who sells a firearm to someone on the list could be fined up to $5,000, this applies to those who have Federal Firearm Licenses.
Dale Jackson hosts a daily radio show from 7-11 a.m. on NewsTalk 770 AM/92.5 FM WVNN and a weekly television show, “Guerrilla Politics,” on WAAY-TV, both in North Alabama. Follow him @TheDaleJackson.
