By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—The U.S. Senate has confirmed six more of President Trump’s cabinet nominees; Politics: Important election in Wisconsin for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1; U.S. Congress: The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, H.R. 556, has been reintroduced; The Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, H.R. 1181, has been introduced; Maine: Federal District Court Judge grants preliminary injunction against Maine’s 72-hour waiting period; South Dakota; pro-gun bills moving; Virginia: Senate moves several anti-Second Amendment bills; Wyoming: The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on HB172 on February 18.
Trump Administration
Cabinet nominations
Four more Trump Cabinet Nominees have been approved as of Feb. 14. They are:
- Pam Bondi – Attorney General
Once Bondi took over at the DOJ, the prosecution of NYC Mayor Eric Adams was halted. Danielle Sassoon, the Acting U.S. Attorney in charge of the case, and two other prosecutors were put on administrative leave—no more political witch hunts.
- Tulsi Gabbard – Director of National Intelligence
- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr – Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Howard Lutnick – Secretary of Commerce
- Brooke Rollins – Secretary of Agriculture
- Chris Wright – Secretary of Energy
- Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI Director, whose hearing concluded on Jan. 30 and the Judiciary Committee held a favorable vote to report out his nomination on Feb. 13 by a 12-10 vote but is still awaiting a Senate vote, which the Democrats have now delayed until after President’s Day.
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 most significant drop ever in gun homicides in large part because of these executive orders by President Biden. Repealing these measures will get people killed.
Mother Jones, an extreme liberal publication, on X: In less than a month, Donald Trump shut down the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, signed an order to reassess Biden policies that “infringed on the Second Amendment rights,” and signaled more to wipe out years of progress.
SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS WINNING!
For further activity by the gun control lobby, you can read Dave Workman’s article, Anti-gun Fury Over Trump 2A Exec. Order
Politics
Wisconsin: The Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin is holding an election that will determine the balance of power on Wisconsin’s highest court. Currently, the 7-member court comprises 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans. The Republican, Brad Schimel, was Wisconsin Attorney General from 2015 to 2019. Before he was elected Attorney General, he served four consecutive terms as Waukesha County District Attorney. Since 2019, he has served as a Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge. The NRA PVF has endorsed his election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court with the following endorsement:
“As Attorney General of Wisconsin, Mr. Schimel received an “A+” rating, the highest grade possible, for his unwavering defense of the individual right to keep and bear arms.”
U.S. Congress
The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, H.R. 556, has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) and in the Senate by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) with 37 co-sponsors.
U.S. Representatives Riley Moore (R-WV-02), Richard Hudson (R-NC-09), and Andy Barr (R-KY-06) have introduced the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, H.R. 1181. This federal legislation would prohibit credit card companies from tracking purchases of firearms and ammunition, which are constitutionally protected products. Sixteen states have passed laws banning payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components.
All 50 state legislatures are in session in 2025
Additional states convening in February: Alabama, Nevada
Colorado: According to Rocky Mountain Gun Owners post on X.com (@RMGOColorado), Radical gun grabbers snuck a provision into SB25-003 criminalizing possession of ALL large capacity magazines, and they are now working on a permit-to-purchase scheme for semi-automatic firearms. It is set for its final vote this week. Contact your Senator and ask for a NO vote.
Maine: A legal challenge, Beckwith v. Frey, Case No. 1:24-cv-00384, to Maine’s 72-hour waiting period law passed in 2024 and became effective on Aug. 9, 2024, was filed on Nov. 14, 2024 in the US District Court for the District of Maine. On Feb. 13, 2024, Chief Judge Grant Walker granted a preliminary injunction against the law. This means the state cannot implement the law until this lawsuit is decided.
New Mexico: We mentioned this year’s GOSAFE Act, SB279, ananti-Second Amendment bill introduced in the Senate. Editor-in-Chief Dave Workman has a comprehensive description of this bill, which the Senate Judiciary Committee is still processing as of the date of this report.
South Dakota: On Feb. 11, the House unanimously passed SB81, which prohibits payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components. On February 10, the Senate State Affairs Committee passed SB100, which allows Right-to-Carry Permitees to be carried on state institutions of higher learning. On February 12, the House Judiciary Committee passed HB1222, which allows permit holders to store firearms in vehicles on school grounds. This bill will be voted on in the House on Feb. 18.
Virginia: The following bills are headed to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s desk: SB744 creates age restrictions for firearms transfer; SB848 bans young adults between 18 and 21 years of age from purchasing certain semi-automatic pistols, rifles, and shotguns; SB880 bans carrying rifles or shotguns on any public right of way, park or place of nature; SB881, prohibits the manufacture of any firearm without a serial number; SB886, changes the definition of “trigger activator” to that of a part altering the rate of fire; SB891 initiates a five-day waiting period before taking possession of a legally acquired firearm; SB1110, SB1182, proposes expansion of gun-free zones; SB1134 creates government-mandated gun storage laws; and SB1181, bans certain semi-automatic firearms and adds limitations on magazines.
Bills that have passed the House and are still going through the Senate and will probably get voted upon this week: Hb1607, banning semi-automatic firearms manufactured after July 1, 2025, limits magazine capacity and discriminates against 18-to-20-year-olds; HB1608, allowing frivolous lawsuits against the firearms industry; HB1660, a redefinition of trigger activator could deny gun owners the right to modify triggers; HB1797, creates a Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention; HB1797, may put current Virginia Right-to-Carry Permittees unable to carry firearms when they travel outside Virginia; HB1869, expands gun-free zones, and HB2241, creates new categories of persons prohibited from Second Amendment rights for misdemeanor convictions. An attempt to pass HB1522, which would have prohibited Virginians from storing firearms in their parked vehicle, failed in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.
Wyoming: The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on HB172 on Feb. 18. This bill expands lawful carry opportunities across the state by repealing gun-free zones for government meetings and schools
