By Tanya Metaksa
What’s new— U.S. Congress: S3567, Privateers of the Caribbean, introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT): 2026 State Legislative Sessions; New Jersey: On Dec. 15, the Assembly Judiciary Committee advanced two flawed gun control bills—S.1425/A.3789 and A.6211—on 4–2 party-line votes; North Carolina; Wisconsin: Two anti-Second Amendment bills have been introduced: S.1425/A.3789.
Merry Christmas
U.S. Congress
On Dec. 18, US Sen. Mike Lee introduced a bill, S3567, Privateers of the Caribbean, that would give private citizens the authority to seize property from drug cartels under a constitutional provision not used in more than 200 years.
Senator Lee states in his press release:
“The Constitution provides for Letters of Marque and Reprisal as a tool against the enemies of the United States.Cartels have replaced corsairs in the modern era, but we can still give private American citizens and their businesses a stake in the fight against these murderous foreign criminals. The Cartel Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act will revive this historic practice to defend our shores and seize cartel assets.”
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) introduced the House version of the legislation.Though not issued by the U.S. government since the War of 1812, letters of marque allow private individuals or companies to “outfit private warships for the purposes of sinking or capturing vessels belonging to enemy nations,” according to Cornell University’s Legal Information Institute.
2026 State Legislative Sessions
Four states do not hold a regular legislative session in even‑numbered years, so they will not meet in 2026: Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas. These four operate on a biennial schedule with regular sessions only in odd‑numbered years. Most biennial legislatures allow bills from the first year (2025) to carry over to the second year (2026), but several states are exceptions. Non‑carryover states (bills do not carry from 2025 to 2026) are Alabama, Arkansas, North Dakota, and Oregon. New Jersey and Virginia are examples where the biennial legislature convenes in an even year and runs into the following odd year, so their next “new” legislature after 2025–2026 does not begin in 2026 but on their next regular cycle.
State Legislature
The following states are still in SESSION:
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
Michigan: HB4980, which would allow filing of a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) application in any county, and HB4284, which would lower the CPL renewal fee from $115 to $30, are on second reading in the House.
New Jersey: On Dec. 15, the Assembly Judiciary Committee advanced two flawed gun control bills—S.1425/A.3789 and A.6211—on 4–2 party-line votes. Both Republicans opposed the measures, and no witnesses testified in support.
S.1425/A.3789 claims to target gun traffickers, but in practice, it punishes law-abiding dealers who already follow all state and federal procedures. It requires them to “reasonably know” if a buyer is prohibited from owning a firearm—an impossible standard when the state itself approves background checks.
A.6211 increases penalties for firearm “trespass,” but is really a backdoor attack on concealed carry rights. It expands “sensitive places” and boosts penalties—potentially to permanent loss of gun rights—for violations, undermining the Bruen decision.
North Carolina: The House rescheduled the veto override on SB50 to Jan. 12, 2026.
Wisconsin: On Dec. 16, Governor Tim Walz issued two executive orders expanding the state’s gun-control infrastructure: one directs an education and data-collection effort related to existing laws, and the other creates a new statewide safety council focused on preventing violent attacks. Walz turned to executive orders after efforts to secure a special legislative session and pass broader bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines stalled in a divided legislature.
First executive order
- Establishes an “educational” campaign to promote Minnesota’s extreme-risk protection (“red flag”) law and safe-storage requirements, with the stated aim of increasing public awareness and use of those tools.kstp+2
- Directs the Department of Commerce to gather data from insurance companies on the “costs of gun violence,” framing gun violence as a public health and economic problem and seeking to support future policy with cost data.cbsnews+2
- Supporters describe this as improving “efficient and equitable implementation” of red flag orders, while gun‑rights advocates characterize it as a vehicle for confiscation that lacks adequate due process protections.nraila+2
Second executive order
- Creates a Governor’s Statewide Safety Council whose stated mission is to prevent “mass violence, targeted attacks, and domestic terrorism” and to coordinate prevention and threat‑assessment efforts across Minnesota.govdelivery+1
- The council is composed of state officials and representatives from education, law enforcement, and mental-health organizations, but it does not reserve a seat for Second Amendment advocacy groups, which critics highlight as evidence of an anti‑gun bias.gunowners+2
