By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New— Alabama: On May 6, Governor Kay Ivey signed HB389/SB281, prohibiting payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components; Colorado: The Colorado legislature has adjourned. On May 7, the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs indefinitely postponed HB24-1292, a semi-automatic ban. Two other anti-Second Amendment bill, HB24-1349, and HB24-1353 have passed; Louisiana: Three pro-gun bills are on their way to Gov. Jeff Landry and one anti-gun bill was defeated; Maine: Governor Janet Mills vetoed LD2086, a bill to ban most semiautomatic firearms, andon May 10, both Houses sustained the governor’s veto; Minnesota: HF2609, a ban on firearm triggers, passed the House on May 2, while an amended version passed the Senate on May 9. At that time, the House refused to concur and requested a conference committee to be appointed; New York: On May 7, Moms Demand Action, the Michael Bloomberg-supported anti-Second Amendment group, sent out a press release with this headline: First in the Nation: New York Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Prevent the Spread of Dangerous Modified Glock Machine Guns; Pennsylvania: Two gun control bills failed by slim margins in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; Vermont: The legislature passed S209 and sent it to Governor Phil Scott.
State Legislation and local communities
States that do NOT hold legislative sessions in 2024: Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas,
States that are still in session: Arizona, Alaska, California,, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin
Alabama: After the House passed HB389/SB281, prohibiting payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components, on an 85-5 vote, Governor Kay Ivey signed the bill on May 6, 2024.
Colorado: The Colorado legislature has adjourned. On May 7, the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs indefinitely postponed HB24-1292, a semi-automatic ban. HB24-1349, a ballot item for the 2024 statewide election that would institute a new state excise tax on firearms and ammunition to be collected by federally regulated firearms dealers, and HB24-1353, new state requirements for firearms dealers, in addition to the ATF federal regulations, has passed both houses of the legislature;
Connecticut: The Connecticut legislature has adjourned.
Louisiana: Three pro-gun bills, SB 152 and SB 214, clarifying language regarding law-abiding citizens’ rights to carry firearms, and SB 194, enhancing state preemption and requiring political subdivisions to repeal offending ordinances, are on their way to Governor Jeff Landry. SB234, discouraging financial companies from discriminating against firearms and ammunition industries, and SB301, prohibiting payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components, have recently passed the Senate. HB627, amended to establish firearms restrictions along parade and demonstration routes, failed in the House by a vote of 38-58.
Maine: Governor Janet Mills vetoed LD2086, a bill to ban most semiautomatic firearms, andon May 10, 2024, both Houses sustained the governor’s veto.
Minnesota: HF2609, a ban on firearm triggers, passed the House on May 2, while an amended version passed the Senate on May 9. At that time, the House refused to concur and requested a conference committee to be appointed.
New York: On May 7, Moms Demand Action, the Michael Bloomberg-supported anti-Second Amendment group, sent out a press release with this headline: First in the Nation: New York Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Prevent the Spread of Dangerous Modified Glock Machine Guns.Their parent group Everytown supported with an additional tweet that stated:
“HISTORIC: @SenatorMyrie, @SolagesNY,@bradhoylman, and @JoAnneSimonBK52 are introducing first-in-the-nation bills to hold Glock accountable for enabling the spread of illegal machine guns capable of firing 1,200 rounds per minute in our communities.”
The bill introduced by Senator Myrie is S09225. On May 8, the introduction of this bill made all the New York papers. The New York legislature has four more weeks before adjournment; they will probably make a big push to get this bill through.
Pennsylvania: Two gun control bills failed by slim margins in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. HB335, a bill to ban “multiple burst trigger activators,” would have also banned common firearms parts, while HB2206 would have required electronic paperwork submission for firearms dealers. These bills may be reconsidered, but they are not active at the moment.
Vermont: The legislature passed S209 and sent it to Governor Phil Scott. SB209 prohibits the ownership of firearms, firearm frames, and receivers without serial numbers and turns voting locations into gun-free zones.
