By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—The Big Beautiful Bill signed by President on July 4; Politics: State wide elections in 2025; Trump Administration reducing ATF budget; California: On legislative recess; More bills to be considered in August in both Assembly and Senate Public Safety Committees; New Jersey: New Jersey gun owners are fighting against excessive fees; Pennsylvania: Sunday hunting bills passed and was signed; .Rhode Island: S359A, the Rhode Island Assault Weapons Ban, passed both the House and the Senate on June 20, 2025, and was signed by Governor Daniel J. McKee; Virginia: Fairfax City Council: postpones vote on anti-Second Amendment ordinance until Sept. 9.
Federal Legislation
President Trump signed the Big Beautiful Bill on July 4, 2025
Although I wrote, “I think Trump’s 4th of July deadline is likely to be delayed as the Senate Democrats stall as long as they can,” in the last issue, obviously, I was wrong. The Senate passed the bill on July 1. At that time, there appeared to be 10 Republican holdouts; however, on July 3, with every Democrat voting against it, the House of Representatives passed the measure by a vote of 219-214. President Trump signed it at the White House in an outdoor signing ceremony on July 4, 2025.
On the day the bill was signed, Gun Owners of America (GOA) announced on X.com that it was filing a bill to gut the NFA: Silencer Shop Foundation v. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Case No: 6:25-cv-00056-H in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas. We will be following this case on our weekly Grassroots Judicial Review as the case develops.
Trump Administration
Every Friday a Substack email “Armed with Reason” is sent out to its mailing list sharing “critical issues in the gun violence community movement.” Three of their stories deal with the Trump administration’s cuts to funding for “gun violence prevention” efforts. They highlight a July 9 report from the American Progress organization with a headline—The Trump Administration’s Budget Will Undermine ATF’s Efforts To Prevent Violent Crime. The article continues with:
“After passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Congress is now considering a budget proposal from the Trump administration that reduces ATF’s funding by 29 percent, making communities less safe.”
I know many gun owners who would find reducing ATF’s efforts by 29% to be music to their ears.
2025 Politics
- Two states will hold gubernatorial and lieutenant governor elections in 2025:
- New Jersey: Two-term Democrat Phil Murphy is term-limited in 2025 with a new Lieutenant Governor candidate.
- Virginia: One-term Republican Glenn Youngkin is term-limited in 2025 and one-term Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is retiring to run for governor.
- One state will hold an attorney general election in 2025:
- Virginia: One-term Republican Jason Miyares is running for re-election.
- One state will hold Supreme Court election.
- Pennsylvania: Three justices are eligible to run for retention election in 2025: Christine Donohue, David N. Wecht, and Kevin M. Dougherty.
State Legislatures
The following states are still in SESSION:
California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania
Delaware: As of July 11, Governor Matt Meyer has not signed SB82, the expansive “Red Flag” law. Carney was listed as the Governor erroneously in the last update.
New Jersey: New Jersey gun owners are fighting against excessive fees. A YouTube video by Liberty Doll tells the following story:
“A recent development in New Jersey has seen two towns—Englishtown and Franklin Township—vote to refund a significant portion of the state’s $200 permit-to-carry fee to gun owners, citing concerns about the constitutionality and fairness of such high costs. This initiative began in Englishtown, where Mayor Daniel Francisco argued that the fee was an undue financial burden and potentially violated constitutional rights, referencing the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision. The Bruen ruling noted that excessive fees or lengthy wait times could be grounds for constitutional challenges to gun permitting regimes, though it did not specify what constitutes an “exorbitant” fee. In comparison, 29 states require no such fees, strengthening the argument that New Jersey’s fee is excessive.
“Under the current law, only $50 of the $200 fee goes to the state police; the remaining $150 is retained by the municipality. Englishtown’s resolution refunds this municipal portion, effectively reducing the cost of a permit to $50 for local applicants. This move was supported by grassroots activists and organizations like the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, who argued that the high fees disproportionately impact the poor and vulnerable and constitute a discriminatory barrier to exercising constitutional rights.
“Following Englishtown’s lead, the New Jersey Firearm Owner Syndicate and the NRA partnered to create a policy brief—a template resolution that can be easily introduced by residents to their own town or city councils. This brief highlights that no other constitutional right is subject to such high fees and notes that, prior to the 2022 law signed by Governor Murphy, the permit fee was only $50. The increased fees, along with additional costs for background checks, purchaser ID cards, pistol purchase permits, and fingerprinting, have created a “fees on top of fees” environment for New Jersey gun owners.”
Oregon: Oregon governors have 30 days after the legislative session ends to sign or veto bills, which would extend the deadline to late July 2025 for SB243, which was passed on June 30.
Pennsylvania: Governor Josh Shapiro signed HB1431, allowing unrestricted Sunday hunting.
Virginia: Fairfax City Council held a meeting on July 8, 2024 to discuss a proposed amendment to its existing ordinance to list where firearms may be prohibited. These are the additional places where firearms would be prohibited:
“(1) city permitted events, as well as those events that would otherwise require a city permit (which includes events permitted by an authority or local government entity created or controlled by the city in whole or in part); and (2) parks controlled by a park authority that was created or controlled by the City in conjunction with one or more other localities.”
The vote by the Council was postponed until the Council meeting in September. According to the Fairfax City websitethe Regular Fairfax City Council Meeting will be held on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.
