By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—The U.S. Senate has confirmed three more of President Trump’s cabinet nominees; DCM resumed sales of .45 caliber pistols; President Trump’s Second Amendment executive order; U.S. Representative Ben Cline (R-VA-06) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) have introduced bills to remove suppressors from the NFA; other federal bills include: Firearms Industry Non-Discrimination Act (FIND ACT, H.R. 45/S. 137); The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act (H.R. 1041/S. 478); The Fair Access to Banking Act (S. 401); Hearings held on gun bills: Kansas, Missouri, and North Dakota; Alabama: Hearings to be held in this month: Colorado: SB25-003 re-postponed and South Dakota; Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis proposes “Second Amendment Summer;” New Mexico GOSAFE act introduced; South Carolina: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB180, and SB143 and reported them favorably; Utah: HB133, a bill recodifies Utah’s existing firearm laws, passed the House now before the Senate Rules Committee; US Virgin Islands Governor having a change of heart?
Trump Administration
Cabinet nominations
Four more Trump Cabinet Nominees have been approved as of Feb. 7. They are:
- Doug Burgum – Secretary of the Interior
- Doug Collins – Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Chris Wright – Secretary of Energy
- Pam Bondi – Attorney General
The two contentious nominations—Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Secretary of HHS and Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence—await full Senate votes within the week of this report. Although Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI Director, whose hearing concluded on Jan. 30, should have been scheduled for a committee vote, on Feb. 6, all 10 Democrat members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter requesting a delay of the vote.
Director of Civilian Marksmanship
On Jan. 29, the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (CMP) resumed the sale of surplus U.S. Army M1911/M1911A1 .45 caliber pistols with free shipping. During the Obama administration, after Congress had authorized the Secretary of Defense to transfer to the CMP up to 10,000 surplus caliber .45 M1911/M1911A1 pistols per year. However, the Obama administration, stating that this authority was discretionary, failed to follow that law. In 2017 President Trump signed the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, enabling sales. However, President Biden halted these sales in April 2024. Check out the CMP website for details.
Executive Order on the Second Amendment
How many times have gun owners and pro-Second Amendment Americans had to endure anti-gun Presidents like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden promoting “gun control” through executive actions over the past 25 years? Finally, we have a pro-Second Amendment Executive Order signed by President Trump, and now the anti-Second Amendment folks are up in arms. Just read what they are saying!
Press release from Giffords: “Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teens in America—we cannot make it easier for guns to fall into dangerous hands. The president’s priority should be to build on the lifesaving progress made over the last four years, not boost profits for gun company CEOs”.
Press release from Community Justice Action Fund: “Today’s executive order is an overt attempt to dismantle the progress made over the last several years that led to historic declines in homicides across the country. Reversing lifesaving policies and initiatives will put countless lives and communities at risk.”
X (formerly known as Twitter) Comment from Everytown: “Let’s be clear: The bipartisan, life-saving, and extremely popular progress on gun safety made under the leadership of the Biden Administration is consistent with the Second Amendment, which is why 15 Senate Republicans supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.”
David Hogg @DavidHogg111, the just elected Vice Chair of the DNC and the self-appointed lobbyist for Parkland High students: “In 2023, we saw the single largest drop ever in gun homicides in large part because of these executive orders by President Biden. Repealing these measures will get people killed.”
Interestingly, other anti-Second Amendment groups have been silent 24 hours after the announcement, while the pro-Second Amendment groups have been very active on X (formerly known as Twitter). Expect more vitriol from those who would disarm American citizens in the days and weeks ahead. After all, they actively campaigned against President Trump.
U.S. Congress
The Hearing Protection Act (H.R. 404/S. 364) removes suppressors from regulation under the National Firearms Act (NFA). This law replaces the onerous and expensive $200 federal tax transfer process with a simple background check, similar to purchasing a firearm. U.S. Representative Ben Cline (R-VA-06) is the primary sponsor in the House, and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) is the primary Senate sponsor.
The new Congress has reintroduced the Firearms Industry Non-Discrimination Act (FIND ACT, H.R. 45/S. 137). This bill prohibits those entities that receive government contracts from discriminating against the firearms industry. Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI-01) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) are the sponsors.
The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act (H.R. 1041/S. 478) has also been reintroduced by Representative Mike Bost (R-IL-12) and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA). This bill reverses a VA policy that strips veterans of their Second Amendment rights without due process after they have been assigned a fiduciary to help manage their VA benefits.
The Fair Access to Banking Act (S. 401) is another bill re-introduced by Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) with 40 co-sponsors. This legislation prohibits financial institutions from denying or limiting services to constitutionally protected businesses.
All 50 state legislatures are in session in 2025
Additional states convening in February: Alabama, Nevada
Alabama: Two anti-Second Amendment bills, HB12, a bump stock ban, and HB58, which would create a criminal penalty for not informing law enforcement when a citizen is carrying a firearm, will be before the House Judiciary Committee on February 12.
Colorado: Although the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee gave Senate Bill 25-003, a ban on semi-automatic firearms, a 3-2 approval vote on January 31, 2025, the Senate postponed the vote on the Senate floor to February 7 and then re-postponed the vote indefinitely.
Florida: On Feb. 3, Governor Ron DeSantis proposes ‘Second Amendment Summer.’ That was the headline in several newspapers and online media after he included a gun tax holiday in his budget proposal. The tax holiday would run between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
Kansas: The House Federal & State Committee hearings on HCR5006 and HB2104, which we covered last week, were held. The Senate Committee on Assessments & Taxation has scheduled a hearing on SB74, which would implement a tax credit for purchasing secure storage devices.
Missouri: SB77, allowing Right-to-Carry Permittees to carry on public transportation, had a hearing before the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Policy Committee.
New Mexico: This is the third year that the GOSAFE Act,ananti-Second Amendment bill, has been introduced in the Senate. This year, it is SB279. The bill would effectively ban almost all “semiautomatic firearms” and the manufacture and purchase of magazines holding more than 10 rounds. The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, but no hearing date has yet to be scheduled.
North Dakota: The House Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the following bills: HB1296 clarifies what a person lawfully carrying a concealed firearm must disclose to law enforcement; HB1352 removes the restriction on carrying a concealed weapon in a place of worship; and HB1365 allows concealed carry in all public places and buildings unless magnetometers and armed security secure them. No votes were taken.
South Carolina: The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on expanding the laws regarding domestic abuse and being denied the right to own a firearm, SB180, and SB143. Both bills were reported favorably.
South Dakota: The House Commerce Committee is holding a hearing today, February 10, on two Pro-Second Amendment Bills that have passed the Senate: SB81, which prohibits payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components, and SB100, which allows Right-to-Carry Permitees to carry on the campuses of state institutions of higher learning.
Utah: HB133, a bill recodifies Utah’s existing firearm laws, making them easier to understand. As of February 5, the bill has passed the House and is before the Senate Rules Committee.
U.S. Virgin Islands: Governor Albert Bryan, Jr., told The Virgin Islands Consortium, “I think the Virgin Islands gun policy has totally failed.” He went on to say, “I think we should move to a place where we open gun ranges that are legal, and we make it easier for people to license and carry firearms,”
