Alabama Governor Blasted By Pro-Gun Advocates Over Latest Proposal

Alabama is a very red state and a very pro-gun state. No, those two don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand, but in this case, they more or less do.

Though, admittedly, it wasn’t that long ago when the state passed a measure banning full-auto switches. It was a replication of federal law that wasn’t really needed, but it did allow local prosecutors to charge criminals in possession of the devices with state crimes without having to wait and see if federal prosecutors were going to bother.

It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t the end of the world, either.

Now, Governor Kay Ivey has a series of new proposals on guns, and it crosses the line for a lot of folks.

“I am also proud to announce to you first that this morning, I signed into law another one of our Safe Alabama public safety bills – Senate Bill 119 – which will help get more bad guys off our streets to ensure safety in our communities. We have a few more working their way through the process, and I am confident those will be heading my way soon,” Ivey’s reportedly told the chamber.

Taylor Rhodes, Board Member of BamaCarry and the Communications Director for the National Association for Gun Rights, told 1819 News in a written statement, “SB119 is a slap in the face to every peaceable gun owner in Alabama. Governor Ivey and the RINO political class just handed anti-gun bureaucrats a blueprint for future gun confiscation — wrapped in a ‘public safety’ ribbon.”

The governor’s office echoed the same four talking points highlighted during the mere eight minutes that it took for the House of Representatives to pass the bill last week, while ignoring the constitutional concerns laid out by gun rights advocates.

Ivey’s release said, “The bill, which is intended to combat inner city gun violence, includes:

1. New firearm possession prohibitions. It will now be a class C felony for someone to possess a firearm if he or she has been convicted of (a) any felony offense within the past five years or (b) three felony offenses at any time. It will now be a class C felony for someone to possess a firearm while out on bail awaiting trial for certain prescribed offenses (e.g., a violent offense).

2. Increased penalty for shooting into occupied dwelling. It will now be a Class A felony—not a Class B felony, as is the case under current law—for someone to shoot into an occupied dwelling.

3. New probation/parole sanctions for firearm possession. It will be easier to sanction probationers and parolees found in possession of a firearm. Moreover, a probationer or parolee’s conviction for illegal firearm possession will now result in mandatory revocation of his or her probation or parole.

4. Aniah’s Law expansion. Aniah’s Law will be expanded to include shooting into an occupied dwelling and solicitation, attempt, or conspiracy to commit murder.”

[Emphasis added]

The issue isn’t that she’s upping the penalty for criminals acting criminally, but the fact that she’s lumping in people who haven’t been convicted of anything. Yes, people out on bail may well have done something wrong, but they also might not have. That’s why we have a trial in the first place.

What Ivey wants to do is treat them as if they’ve already been convicted, at least when it comes to guns, and that’s going way too far for many people, myself included.

People’s right to keep and bear arms isn’t a privilege that can just be taken away because of an accusation. These are American citizens we’re talking about here. They can only be stripped of their rights through the due process of law.

An arrest and an arraignment aren’t due process in and of themselves. It’s part of the process, sure, but Ivey wants to act like that’s the totality until after a trial has been finished.

If someone is that dangerous, then why are they granted bail in the first place?

Some likened this to Minority Report, which I think is a bit of a stretch, but it’s not as much of one as I might like.

Gov. Ivey, a Republican, has been strangely fixated on guns. Sure, most of these measures are trying to target actual criminals, but maybe it’s time to look at some crime prevention efforts instead?