By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—2025 Politics; Attorney General Pam Bondi supports the issuance of concealed carry permits to qualified non-residents; Corporate anti-gun policies begin shifting; Connecticut: The legislature adjourned.However, HB 7042, which allows civil causes of action to be brought against firearm industry members who fail to implement “reasonable controls,” passed the legislature and is on its way to Governor Lamont; Illinois: The Illinois legislature adjourned—But not before HB850 and SB8 passed the House; Louisiana: HB289 passed the legislature and the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced pro-Second Amendment bills: HB393 and HB407. The House passed SB101, expanding Second Amendment rights by a 72-23 vote; Michigan: The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance several anti-Second Amendment bills: SB331, SB332, SB224, and SB226; Minnesota: A special session has been scheduled for Monday, June 9, to discuss the Environmental Omnibus Bill outside of the regular session. It includes allowing deer hunting with any legal firearm and is supported by the DNR; Nevada: The legislature adjourned. Governor Joe Lombardo has vetoed the following anti-Second Amendment bills: SB89 and AB245. Two more bills are awaiting his signature/veto; New Hampshire: SB54 was tabled indefinitely; North Carolina: SB50, a constitutional carry needs necessary amendments; Oklahoma: The legislature adjourned; Oregon: SB243, the bill has put four anti-gun bills into a comprehensive, horrendous bill, that passed the Senate; Rhode Island: House passed H5436, Substitute A, which bans so-called “assault weapons” being sold and possessed after July 1, 2026; Texas: SB706, SB1362, SB1596, HB1403, and HB3053, have passed the legislature. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign these bills; Vermont: Governor Phil Scott (R-VT) announced a veto of S131; Washington: Governor Bob Ferguson signed HB1163.
2025 Politics
It is not too early for gun owners in Virginia and New Jersey to pay attention to state-wide elections this fall in both states. Lt. Governor Winsome Sears, a stalwart pro-Second Amendment candidate and former Marine, who is now running for Governor, is looking for support as George Soros has been funding her opponent’s campaign.The New Jersey primaries are June 10; the Virginia primaries are June 17. On June 10, there are primaries for two State Senate races in Florida and one in Oklahoma. If you are an NRA member, you can find endorsed candidates on their NRA/PVR website.
Attorney General Pam Bondi supports the issuance of concealed carry permits to qualified non-residents
In a letter on official stationery, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote a 4-page letter to Pennsylvania Attorney General David W. Sunday and Montgomery County Sheriff and President of the Pennsylvania Sheriffs Association Sean P. Kilkenny. The opening paragraph summarizes what she wrote: “I write with concern that county sheriffs in Pennsylvania are administering the Commonwealth’s Uniform Firearms Act in a manner that denies the right to bear arms to out-of-state residents. This practice is unlawful under Pennsylvania law. It also raises serious concerns under the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms in public, as well as the Privileges and Immunities Clause, which prohibits discriminating against out-of-state citizens by denying them the exercise of fundamental rights.”
Corporate anti-gun policies begin shifting
Big gun control advocates, especially former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown, after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida (2018), began a campaign to stigmatize not only gun owners but the gun industry. This was very successful at the time, as many major national companies joined the effort. As a result, many banks instituted a ban on lending to companies whose business included “military-style firearms.” We wrote about “Operation Chokepoint,” which began under the Obama administration and was finally halted by Trump during his first term. Now we are seeing two large banks, Bank of America and Citicorp, modifying their policies. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues to grow.
State Legislatures
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming have adjourned.
Kansas and Maine are in recess.
Connecticut: The legislature adjourned.However, HB 7042, which allows civil causes of action to be brought against firearm industry members who fail to implement “reasonable controls,” passed the legislature and is on its way to Governor Ned Lamont. The “reasonable controls” are lengthy and defined in the bill. For a state that used to be the firearms manufacturing capital of the country, it is a sad day. Three pro-Second Amendment and pro-freedom bills did not pass the legislature: HB7137, HB7194, and HB7052.
Illinois: The Illinois legislature adjourned—But not before a bill that turns due process on its head, HB850, has passed the House. This bill requires individuals whose FOID card has been revoked to submit a form disclosing all firearms and surrender them to law enforcement. The House also passed SB8, which expands mandatory storage laws. Both now go to anti-gun Governor JB Pritzker.
Louisiana: HB289, which provides protection for firearms and ammunition, has passed the legislature and now goes to Governor Jeff Landry. On June 3, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced pro-Second Amendment bills: HB393 and HB407. The House passed SB101, expanding Second Amendment rights by a 72-23 vote.
Michigan: The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance several anti-Second Amendment bills: SB331 and SB332 restrict law-abiding gun owners rights to build firearms for personal use; SB224, bans bump stocks; and SB224 and SB226 that includes Michigan State Capitol Building, the Binsfeld Senate Office Building, and the Anderson House Office Building as gun free zones. Earlier this past week, the House passed HB4286, allowing hunter education to be taught in Michigan schools.
Minnesota: A special session has been scheduled for Monday, June 9, to discuss the Environmental Omnibus Bill outside of the regular session. For 80 years, state hunting regulations have included restrictions on the use of rifles for deer hunting. During this session, Representative Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, has introduced an amendment included in the Omnibus Bill that allows people to hunt deer anywhere in the state with any legal firearm. The DNR supports it and needs the backing of Minnesota gun owners.
Nevada: The legislature adjourned. As of this week, Governor Joe Lombardo has vetoed the following anti-Second Amendment bills: SB89 and AB245. Two other bills are awaiting his signature or veto. They are: AB105: Criminalizes the lawful possession of firearms within 100 feet of a polling place, even if there is no intent to interfere with the election process, and SB156: Creates a taxpayer-funded “Special Counsel for the Prevention of Gun Violence” that will be used to promote gun control policies, not objective research.
New Hampshire: SB54 that has been amended to include a firearms safety program in New Hampshire elementary schools was tabled indefinitely.
North Carolina: SB50, a constitutional carry that has some major problems, is moving in the legislature. The members of House Judiciary 2 Committee need to hear from you regarding some necessary amendments.
Oklahoma: The legislature adjourned.
Oregon: SB243, the bill was changed by a 23-page amendment merging four anti-gun bills into a comprehensive, horrendous bill, has passed the Senate. The Oregon Firearms Federation had this to say after the Senate passage: “Today, all Senate Republicans showed up to provide the quorum the Democrats needed to pass SB 243, Oregon’s latest gun ban. Words cannot express the magnitude of the ignorance and stupidity showcased by most of the floor speeches.”
Rhode Island: On June 5, the House passed H5436, Substitute A, which bans so-called “assault weapons” being sold and possessed after July 1, 2026.
Texas: After several attempts to pass a bill recognizing valid out-of-state carry permits, SB706 is headed to Governor Greg Abbott for his expected signature. Additionally. The legislature passed four more pr-Second Amendment bills: SB1362, prohibits the recognition or enforcement of red flag laws unless specifically authorized by Texas law; SB1596, remove short-barreled rifles and shotguns from Texas’ prohibited weapons; HB1403, removes the regulation that required foster parents to supply an inventory of firearms; and HB3053, prohibits municipal governments from sponsoring weapons buy-back programs. Gov. Abbott is expected to sign these bills.
Vermont: Although S131, which changes the Burlington City Charter to allow the city to ban firearms, passed the legislature, Governor Phil Scott (R-VT) announced that he will veto it.
Washington: Governor Bob Ferguson signed HB1163, which will establish a “permit to purchase” requirement before the purchase and transfer of firearms. The permitting system will take effect on May 1, 2027, if fully funded by June 30, 2025.
