By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Heading a coalition of 22 Democrat state attorneys general, anti-gun New York Attorney General Letitia James is making headlines in an effort to counter what her press release says is “the Trump administration’s unprecedented effort to dismantle decades of federal gun safety protections.”
Her allies are attorneys general representing Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
The group has submitted letters to Attorney General Todd Blanche and Robert Cekada, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This is the Democrats’ reaction to the ATF efforts to reform—“rolling back or eliminating,” according to James’ news release—the nation’s gun control laws. There are 32 proposals under consideration, and the James group contends they are “unlawful, unsupported by evidence, and would make communities across the country less safe while benefiting the gun industry at the expense of public safety.”
According to James’ release, “Attorney General James and the coalition argue that ATF’s proposals would dismantle longstanding protections that Congress enacted to reduce gun violence, combat illegal firearms trafficking, and support law enforcement.”
The proposed reforms were announced in May during a gathering with representatives from Second Amendment organizations and the firearms industry. It was a showing of support which had never come from previous administrations.
According to the ATF, the reform package includes:
- Published a landmark package of proposed and final rules to streamline regulations and forms, reducing burden on dealers and gun owners alike. Public comments are encouraged during the open comment period for each rule. Rules can be found on the following pages:
- Ended the Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement Policy that had targeted firearms dealers; FFLs whose licenses were revoked or surrendered under that policy may reapply under the new Administrative Action Policy.
- Published a new Administrative Action Policy emphasizing firearm traceability and public safety while deemphasizing immaterial paperwork errors.
- Revised processes for determining what inspection and compliance data is published.
- Instituted a NICS alert policy restricting use of NICS alerts to federal firearms trafficking violations.
- Established a Senior Industry Partnership Advisor/Liaison to address industry concerns and foster productive engagement.
- Established a classifications board requiring all new firearm classifications to be reviewed and approved by the Office of the Director prior to publication.
- Improved response time from the Firearms & Ammunition Technology Division (FATD) to FFL inquiries.
- Reversed bans on the importation of non-lethal training ammunition and dual-use barrels.
James and other Democrats in her coalition want to maintain the status quo, which critics have argued treats the Second Amendment as a “second-class right.” Blanche and his predecessor, Pam Bondi, have both declared that the Second Amendment is not a second-class right.
