N.C. Takes Aim at Nullifying Federal Gun Control Regulations
Joe Wolverton, II, J.D. via The New American
As reported to The New American by sources in the Tar Heel State, North Carolina’s legislature is considering House Bill 886, appropriately titled the Second Amendment Preservation Act. The measure, authored by state Representatives Mitchell Setzer and Jay Adams, would forbid the enforcement of any federal regulation aimed at unconstitutionally abridging the right to keep and bear arms as protected by the Second Amendment.
Not content to put all their constitutional eggs in one basket, the North Carolina legislature is currently considering a pair of additional bills that would shore up the fundamental rights protected by the Second Amendment, shielding citizens from the near constant federal march toward civilian disarmament.
House Bill 699 — sponsored by state representatives Setzer, Jones, Ford, Pittman, and Speciale — is titled the Gun Rights and Privacy Act, and it lives up to its name.
Specifically, this legislation makes it unlawful “for a state or local official, agent, or employee knowingly and willfully to order another State or local official, agent, or employee to enforce any executive order, agency order, law, rule or regulation of the United States government as provided in subsection (b) of this section upon a personal firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition.”
Furthermore, the bill guarantees the right of people in North Carolina to “obtain health care free from discrimination based on knowledge of, or unwarranted inquiry into, constitutionally protected conduct involving firearms and ammunition.”
Finally, there is House Bill 648, the North Carolina Firearms Freedom Act.
Were it enacted, this bill mandates that “Firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition manufactured and retained in North Carolina from federal regulation under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution of the United States.”
This approach to protecting gun rights is savvy, given the habit of Congress of regulating everything under its Commerce Clause “power.”
We have covered here, a number of times, various states that have decided to join the nullification movement against the federal government.
The nullification movement is a smart way to combat the ever encroaching civilian disarmament that is coming from the federal government.
Essentially, what nullification does is makes it illegal for state agencies and employees to help the federal government enforce firearms laws that are not also enforced locally.
It becomes policy of the state to no cooperate with any investigation or enforcement of firearms laws if those laws conflict with their own local state laws.
None of these states have yet been challenged by the Federal government, or have had to attempt to enforce the nullification laws.
However, these state governments are clearly thinking ahead. The writing is on the wall when it comes to the desire of the federal government to disarm the population.
If and when that time comes, these states will be ready to defend their right to bear arms.
