Arizonans who want to possess pipe bombs and hand grenades will have to instead settle for getting automatic rifles, sawed-off shotguns and silencers under the terms of a proposal approved Wednesday by an Arizona House panel.
The bill would amend the state constitution to allow Arizonans to have silencers, automatic weapons and short-barrel rifles and shotguns.
Those are already legal under federal law with approval from different government agencies.
In his original draft of the bill, Republican Rep. Alexander Kolodin also sought to legalize the possession of some explosives and Molotov cocktails. Those portions have since been removed.
“The people, who really are the government, should be able to possess, keep and bear these arms. So we have to rectify this terrible error and give the people the opportunity to reclaim the liberty that God has really given them," Kolodin said.
If passed, it would go to voters next year.
Many portions of the bill would allow Arizonans to finally possess things that federal law already allows.
Silencers are regulated -- not banned -- by the National Firearms Act. Possession requires passing a background check, be legally eligible to purchase a firearm, and pay $200 for a federal tax stamp.
But in Arizona, it's a crime to have "a device that is designed, made or adapted to muffle the report of a firearm." Under HCR 2037, if approved by voters, that prohibition would go away.
Ditto an Arizona law that makes it illegal to have a firearm capable of shooting more than one shot automatically. This, too, is legal under federal law with approval from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
And also gone would be a state law that outlaws rifles and shotguns with an overall length of 26 inches. something also allowed under federal law for those who can pass the background check and pay the federal tax stamp.
Only Anne Thompson, a volunteer from Moms Demand Action which lobbies for gun regulation, testified against the bill. But most of her comments were against the original bill to legalize weapons not permitted under federal law.
Even in stripped-down form, the measure was approved by the committee on a 6-3 vote, with all three Democrats on the panel opposed.
-
The case is nearly identical to a case the court ruled on two years ago from Alabama, though the outcome could make it more difficult for minorities to prevail in redistricting cases. -
President Trump is banking on the public caring more about the politically popular things he is trying to do than how he is going about doing them in his fights with the judicial branch.
-
The fight over the rarely used wartime power has become central to Trump's immigration crackdown agenda and his efforts to stretch the powers of the executive branch. -
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought their Fighting Oligarchy Tour to Tempe. But Arizona Republic columnist Phil Boas says it’s the Democrats who are living large off donations from billionaires. -
Democrats need to flip three seats to take back the House next year – and the path to a majority likely runs through districts President Trump carried. Democrats who won alongside Trump offer their prescription for a party they say needs to make big changes.
