These are the legislators that voted to pass HB61, putting into state law, that the government has the authority to shutdown gun stores in an “emergency.”
It is a blatant infringement of the 2nd Amendment.
Never let a good crisis go to waste… That’s the despot’s way.
In April 2020, that’s exactly what happened in Anchorage – the Municipality’s Little Tyrant (Mayor Berkowitz) ordered gun stores to be closed while marijuana, liquor, and general retail stores stayed open.
What Berkowitz did was illegal – Alaska’s laws do not permit any level of government to shut down commerce, let alone shutter gun stores while retailers next door stayed open.
Not satisfied with the ability to take advantage of a crisis, legislators in the House decided that tyranny for all is better than tyranny for none.
You read that right. When an amendment was offered to remove a line from the bill that creates the authority to shut down gun stores – along with every other store – was offered, equity was their answer.
This was after hundreds of Alaskans called, emailed, and submitted their petitions to remove this poison-pill from this bill.
Speaking to the amendment, Representative McCabe (Big Lake) told his colleagues that, what was once a 2nd Amendment protection bill is now an equity in commerce bill.
But it’s really an equity in tyranny bill.
What started as a 2nd Amendment protection bill became an equity in commerce bill. But with newly created powers to shut down businesses, it becomes an equity in tyranny bill.
And with that, every Republican except Representative Eastman (Wasilla), and Representative Tomaszewski (Fairbanks), voted against the amendment that would prohibit the creation of new tyrannical powers.
You can see the tally here:
This bill is on course to steal more of your freedoms and liberties.
These subtle and seemingly small incremental steps add up to big margins over time, and that has consistently been the scheme of choice for the anti-gun zealots, driven to try and steal it all.
They intend to get away with it too.
You don’t have to let them. You can amplify your voice and demand that they stop this anti-gun bill in its tracks.
You can add your voice to the hundreds of other Alaskans, telling your politician to correct their course.
You can do that by emailing them right now. It’s ready to go:
Do you remember just three years ago, when crazed anti-gun petty tyrants shutdown the gun stores in Anchorage?
We fought that fight, and the stores that should never have been closed were re-opened.
Right now, legislation is being considered in our state legislature, that could either protect our rights (limit the government), or harm our liberties.
It is known as House Bill 61 (HB61). The Senate companion legislation is SB63.
Both of these bills are being marketed as protecting your gun rights during times of emergency or disaster declarations.
This is not true.
The proposed legislation claims to prevent gun stores and shooting ranges from being shut down by disaster declarations or emergency orders.
It actually does the opposite. The legislation would give government the power to shut down gun stores and ranges, along with other stores and businesses.
Both bills have the fatally flawed poison-pill phrasing. Starting page 1, line 15:
(4) unless the closure or limitation applies equally to all forms of commerce within the jurisdiction, closing or limiting the operating hours of…
The first half of that sentence gives government the authority to shutdown all commerce relating to firearms.
Right now, the authority in state law to shutdown gun stores doesn’t exist. This bill (as written) would add it into our law books.
Why is it okay to shutdown gun stores, as long as you close every other store at the same time?
It isn’t. This is unacceptable.
It’s time to urge your legislator to reject the phrase: “unless the closure or limitation applies equally to all forms of commerce within the jurisdiction”.
This legislation claims to prevent gun stores and shooting ranges from being shut down by disaster declarations or emergency orders.
As it is currently written, it actually does the opposite.
That specific language allows government to shut down gun stores and ranges, along with other stores and businesses.
We’ve been communicating to the committees that heard this legislation, and they’ve all failed to fix it.
Now, it’s time to activate and urge the legislature to fix HB61.
It has been announced that it will be on the State House Floor on Monday.
Right now, your legislator needs to hear from you!
You can reach out to your Representative and demand that they do the right thing and fix HB61.
Tell them to offer an amendment, or support an amendment on Monday to fix the bill.
Your message could be something as simple as:
Dear Representative,
I urge you to fix HB61 and remove the current flawed language that allows the government to shutdown gun stores (at the same time as all other commerce).
And if none of those listed are your representative (or you’re not sure who is), reach out to the Speaker’s office and urge Speaker Tilton to fix HB61:
As we expected, the anti-gun zealots introduced their legislation in Juneau this month.
They’re aiming to take away your gun rights through gun-confiscation schemes like so called “Red-Flag” laws and the “Home-Invasion Incentive Act.”
Red-flag laws strip gun owners of their constitutional rights to keep and bear arms while violating several other fundamental constitutional rights, robbing them of their due process rights, and leaving them with almost no recourse.
It is a gun-grab scheme ripe for abuses as well as being blatantly unconstitutional.
It violates multiple articles in the Bill of Rights and will be used to deprive innocent people of their rights, victimizing them and making them more likely to be further victimized in the future.
This is the history of this law, as shown in every other state that has passed it or similar legislation.
Also introduced, the “Home-Invasion Incentive Act,” gives criminals, thugs, and home invaders significant advantages when law-abiding owners lock away their firearms.
It would require that guns being stored or transported be in a locked container.
This adds an undue burden on a victim, who really can’t afford the extra seconds required under a high-stress situation, to try and manipulate a locked safe when their home is being invaded!
Enforcement of this law would make victims and criminals out of law-abiding gun owners; while giving criminals, thugs, and home invaders, significant advantages when committing violent crime sprees.
If you signed one of our petitions opposing Red-Flag gun confiscation, or the petition opposing the Home-Invasion Incentive Act, thank you!
By you adding your voice to thousands of other voices, using your 1st Amendment right, you are helping to build a bulwark to protect your 2nd Amendment rights!
We’ve been educating thousands of Alaskans on the dangers of these schemes, and with your continued support, we’ll continue mobilizing good people against the schemes of these gun-grabbers!
We’ll continue to keep you informed of these developments and opportunities to participate in defending our liberties.
Representative Kevin McCabe, the freshman representative from Big Lake (R), voted against your 2nd Amendment rights this spring.
Rep. McCabe and his cohorts voting to table(kill) pro-2nd Amendment language
He joined in with a bunch of anti-gun democrats and RINOs, to vote to kill (table) a pro-2A amendment to the State’s budget.
This amendment would prevent the University of Alaska from enforcing so-called “gun-free” zones on the campus, thus not allowing “Campus Carry”, and continuing to enforce “Criminal Safety Zones” on campus.
This is a deep betrayal of his oath to protect and defend YOUR 2nd Amendment rights.
To add insult to injury, he completely broke his word that he gave to our members to support the anti-red flag act (House Bill 152).
Not only did he refuse to support it, as he promised on his candidate survey he would, he actually worked to undermine and oppose it actively on the House Floor!
His collaboration with the anti-gun zealots was a betrayal of the highest order.
What is even more bizarre, is that he still claims to be pro-gun!
Nearly immediately (two days) after the vote, he was shouting at our members at a gun show in Big Lake, claiming that we were lying.
Frank Tomaszewski has returned his Alaska Gun Rights Survey 100% Pro-Gun!
UPDATE
As of May 2023, Frank Tomaszewski has since betrayed the 2nd Amendment and your gun rights, by voting to allow government to shut down gun stores. You can see more details at this Wall of Shame page here.
Only because he has felt the heat of the grassroots holding him accountable, has he attempted to change his tune, after seeing his co-conspirators lose their own elections last year, and the repeal of the anti-gun range ordinance was inevitable.
Only because she has felt the heat of the grassroots holding her accountable, has she attempted to change her tune, after seeing her co-conspirators lose their own elections last year, and the repeal of the anti-gun range ordinance was inevitable.
The anti-gun extremists are mobilizing. They are scheming to take your rights away by hook or crook.
This spring we saw a bunch of weak-kneed RINOs join in with them, voting to kill (table) a pro-2A amendment to the State’s budget.
All of the names in Green, voted to kill (table) the amendment.
This amendment would prevent the University of Alaska from enforcing so-called “gun-free” zones on campus, thus not allowing “Campus Carry”, and continuing to enforce “Criminal Safety Zones” on campus.
This is a betrayal of their oaths to protect and defend YOUR 2nd Amendment rights.
Interior State House Representatives that voted to attack your rights are: Steve Thompson, Mike Prax, Mike Cronk, Adam Wool, Grier Hopkins, and Bart LeBon.
You can send these State House Representatives (who are supposed to defend your rights, and not attack them), a pre-written email here.
Please pass this message along to a friend or fellow 2ndAmendment patriot!
