TSA and NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits

The senate Democrats led by Chuck Schumer are hell-bent on committing political suicide with their refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which left TSA workers without pay for over a month and snarling the nation's airports.

A friend and I are planning to go to Houston for the annual NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits next month. Hopefully, the shutdown will be over by then. 

It is stupid for the Democrats to pull this stunt, especially during an election year. Voters will remember this when they cast their ballots in November.

The NRA-ILA posted:

Time is running out, but you can still make plans and join us for an unforgettable celebration of freedom, at the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, coming to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, April 16–19, 2026!

Join tens of thousands of proud NRA Members and Second Amendment supporters for this one-of-a-kind weekend featuring inspiring speakers, exciting events, and a massive showcase of the latest firearms and gear.

To read more, go here. 

New Mexico: Sweeping Gun Control Bill Passes Senate

The Second Amendment in New Mexico will be severely undermined if the SB 17 is passed and signed into law.

The NRA-ILA posted:

Last night, the New Mexico Senate passed an omnibus gun control package by a vote of 21 to 17 that would severely undermine the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding New Mexicans and threaten the viability of local firearm retailers. SB 17 now moves to the House for further consideration. Please use the Take Action link below to contact your Representative and express your strong opposition to SB 17.

Senate Bill 17, Senate Bill 17, introduced by Senators Micaelita Debbie O’Malley, Andrea Romero, and Heather Berghmans, would unconstitutionally strip law-abiding New Mexicans of their Second Amendment rights by banning common gas-operated semiautomatic firearms, .50-caliber rifles, and magazines holding more than ten rounds under the guise of labeling them “extremely dangerous weapons.”

To read more and take action, go here. 

NM: Senate Committee Passes Sweeping Gun Control Bill

The wacko leftist Democrats in the New Mexico senate passed a bad gun control bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Much of the bill, Senate Bill 17, is seen as already unconstitutional, but that doesn't stop the Democrats from passing it anyway. A lawsuit is guaranteed if it is passed and signed into law.

From the NRA-ILA: 

Last night, the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 17, an omnibus gun control package that would severely undermine the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding New Mexicans and threaten the viability of local firearm retailers. SB 17 could come up for a floor vote in the Senate at any time! Use the Take Action link below to contact your Senator and express your strong opposition to SB 17.

Senate Bill 17, introduced by Senators Micaelita Debbie O’Malley, Andrea Romero, and Heather Berghmans, would unconstitutionally strip law-abiding New Mexicans of their Second Amendment rights by banning common gas-operated semiautomatic firearms, .50 caliber rifles, and magazines holding more than ten rounds under the guise of labeling them as “extremely dangerous weapons.”

The bill further targets the firearms industry by imposing excessive and costly bureaucratic mandates on local firearm dealers, including invasive “site hardening” security requirements and unrealistic 24-hour response deadlines for law enforcement trace requests.

The article has a widget for people who oppose the bill to take action.

To read the full article, go here. 

NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits In Houston April 17-19

Above, NRA photo of a past meeting.

Since the 33rd anniversary of my 39th birthday (as President Ronald Reagan would put it)  hits tomorrow, one of the things that are on my personal "bucket list" is to attend a National Rifle Association Annual Meetings & Exhibits.

This year, the event will be held in Houston, Texas.

According to the NRA-ILA:

DON’T MISS OUT!  Make plans NOW to join your NRA for the Members’ event of the year; The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, TX from April 17 - 19!  

Featuring thousands of firearms on display from the top companies in the industry, and acres of accessories, and related gear, this is the only event of its kind where you can see all the major firearms and accessory manufacturers under one roof! This is the NRA’s flagship event of the year – and you don’t want to miss it! 

I'll see if any of my friends want to also attend.

To read more, go here. 

NRA-ILA 2025 Litigation Update

2025 saw a lot of Second Amendment litigation.

For the most part, gun owners around the country saw many victories. The National Rifle Association was the top protector of our Second Amendment rights and litigated accordingly. They weren't the sole litigator in pro-Second Amendment circles. 

The NRA-ILA posted a 2025 litigation update.

They begin it with:

In 2025, the National Rifle Association defeated New Mexico’s 7-day waiting period for firearm purchases, the ATF’s “engaged in the business” rule, the ATF’s “pistol brace” rule, a lawsuit seeking to ban lead ammunition in the Canaan Valley NWR, and in a case now being reheard by the en banc Ninth Circuit, California’s background check requirement for ammunition purchases. NRA filed 10 new cases; 3 petitions for certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court; and 20 amicus briefs, including 9 in the U.S. Supreme Court. NRA counsel also published three law review articles, hosted webinars to discuss our litigation efforts across the country, and continued its Legal Scholar Video Series, all while litigating dozens of other cases across the country.

To read the update, go here. 

NRA-ILA Lauds New Mexico Waiting Period Victory

Above, your truly taking possession of the Winchester Model
 12 shotgun a month before the waiting period law took effect.

 

The NRA-ILA lauded almost immediately the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the seven-day waiting period for gun purchases is unconstitutional and halted it.

The ruling is a major poke-in-the-eye at New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. 

The NRA-ILA wrote:

Today, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals held New Mexico’s seven-day waiting period for firearm purchases unconstitutional in Ortega v. Grisham, a case brought by the National Rifle Association and Mountain States Legal Foundation, with the support of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

“In courtrooms across America, the NRA is successfully leading the charge to protect law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment rights,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director, John Commerford. “The 10th Circuit has sided with the NRA and held that radical waiting period laws are indeed unconstitutional. This decision not only impacts gun owners in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma, but serves as a key piece in dismantling similar gun control laws across the country.” 

New Mexico’s law requires purchasers of firearms to “cool off” for seven days before taking possession of a newly purchased firearm—even after passing a background check and demonstrating that they are not prohibited from owning firearms.

The Tenth Circuit held that New Mexico’s law violates the Second Amendment. Judge Tymkovich, writing for the court, determined that the right to keep and bear arms necessarily includes the lawful acquisition of firearms and, therefore, “cooling off” waiting periods infringe on Second Amendment-protected conduct. Next, the court concluded that waiting periods are a modern invention that are unsupported by our nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.

I had to contend with California's 10-day waiting period when I lived there. Should the U.S. Supreme Court uphold this ruling, that would effectively end California's waiting period.

To read more, go here. 

Update On Canada's Big Ugly Gun Grab

Canada's dumb scheme to confiscate guns from its citizens is not faring too well. Five provinces are opposing it.

The NRA-ILA took a look at the program it finds that it is riddled with problems. Naturally, Canada's gun owners are resisting.

They begin with:

Canada’s Liberal government is pressing on with its harebrained gun ban and confiscation program for “assault style weapons,” but, true to form and precedents, it has been far from smooth sailing.

Canada’s National Post newspaper describes the government’s program as “not only severely behind schedule and over-budget, but a newly released internal report shows that Ottawa is doubtful of the plan ever actually working as announced.”

To read more, go here. 

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down CA’s One-Gun-A-Month Law

It looks like the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals got one right for a change.

It struck down California's one gun a month (30 days) law first enacted back in 1999.  It said it violates the Second Amendment.

According to the NRA-ILA:

Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that California’s law prohibiting people from buying more than one firearm in a 30-day period violates the Second Amendment.

California enacted its one-gun-a-month law in 1999, at which point it applied only to concealable firearms. By 2024, it applied to all firearms. Several plaintiffs—including six individuals, PWGG, LP, North County Shooting Center, Firearms Policy Coalition, San Diego County Gun Owners Political Action Committee, and Second Amendment Foundation—challenged the law in the Southern District of California. After the district court held the law unconstitutional, the state appealed to the Ninth Circuit.

To read more, go here.

NRA-ILA: Take Action On New Mexico Gun Bills

The radical left is trying to infringe on New Mexicans' gun rights.

The NRA-ILA posted the following: 

Yesterday, Senate Finance posted that their staff is reviewing SB 279 as a part of their Wednesday meeting. While this is not a formal hearing, this could be a decision point on whether Senate Finance will take up the bill with 10 days left in session. It's critical that NRA members and Second Amendment supporters, get involved today! 

Click the “Take Action” button below to urge the committee members to oppose SB 279

 

SB 279 seeks to regulate and prohibit the possession of a wide range of semiautomatic firearms commonly used by law-abiding citizens for recreation, hunting, self-defense, and competitive shooting.

Law-abiding New Mexicans who currently possess firearms covered by the bill would be required to register the firearms with the state no later than January 1, 2026. Gun owners would be required to keep on their person a notarized certification of that registration anytime they travel outside their own property. Licensed firearm dealers will have to mark firearms, maintain records of certifications, and make these available for law enforcement inspection.

To read more, go here.

NM: Take Action Against Gun Control Bills Today!

Above, the New Mexico State Capitol. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're in the midst of the 2025 session of the New Mexico legislature. True to form, radical leftist Democrats have introduced bills that would, if enacted, endanger the Second Amendment rights of the state's citizens.

The NRA-ILA posted a "take action" article on two bills now before lawmakers.

They posted:

The New Mexico legislature is considering two significant bills that pose substantial threats to our Second Amendment rights: Senate Bill 279 and Senate Bill 318, which are expected to be heard before the Senate Judiciary committee in the coming days. It's critical that you get involved today by clicking the TAKE ACTION button to contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge their opposition to SB 279 & SB 318 today!

On Senate Bill 279, they wrote:

Senate Bill 279, known as the Gas-Operated Semiauto Firearms Exclusion Act, seeks to regulate and potentially prohibit the possession of a wide range of semiautomatic firearms commonly used by law-abiding citizens for recreation, hunting, self-defense, and competitive shooting.

On Senate Bill 318, they wrote:

Senate Bill 318 expands the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act to include firearms, parts, and accessories, imposing severe penalties of $250,000 per violation and holding manufacturers, distributors, and online platforms jointly liable for actions by third parties. It allows private lawsuits without proof of harm, subjects out-of-state and online sellers to New Mexico laws, and grants sweeping authority to the Attorney General to pursue civil penalties. 

New Mexico voters need to contact their representatives and urge them to defeat these bills.

To read more, go here. 

 

Trump Signs Executive Order To Review Gun Control

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to protect and expand Second Amendment rights of Americans.

The NRA-ILA posted:

Today, the White House announced a new Executive Order to protect and expand the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. This is the first action taken by President Donald J. Trump to carry through on his promise to restore the full protections of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms for the American people.

“Promises made to law-abiding gun owners are being kept by President Donald J. Trump,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA Executive Vice President and CEO. “NRA members were instrumental, turning out in record numbers to secure his victory, and he is proving worthy of their votes, faith, and confidence in his first days in office.”

The order directs the Attorney General to conduct a report and make recommendations to better protect the Second Amendment. Specifically, the order requires the Attorney General to evaluate actions taken by the Biden Administration that restricted firearms rights and recommend solutions to undo those actions.

President Trump has gone further than simply moving towards eliminating the anti-gun actions of the last administration. The order further requires the Attorney General to take an all-of-government review to further enhance firearm rights by addressing the litigation position of the United States in any case impacting the Second Amendment, reviewing government classifications of firearms and ammunition, and evaluating wait times for various federal approvals that are required to make, manufacture, transfer, or export firearms and ammunition.

To read more, go here. 

NM Anti-Gun Extremists Introduce Sweeping Gun Ban

Above, the New Mexico Capitol Building in Santa Fe. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The radical leftist Democrats in the New Mexico legislature are at it again.

They have introduced a bill that would ban almost all semi-automatic firearms.

From the NRA-ILA:

As they have tried in the past, anti-gun radicals in the New Mexico Senate have introduced Senate Bill 279, the "GOSAFE Act," a near all-encompassing ban on commonly owned firearms. SB 279 has been referred to Senate Judiciary Committee, but has not been scheduled for hearing at this time. Start contacting your Senators TODAY and urge them to OPPOSE this unconstitutional bill by using the TAKE ACTION button below.

SB 279 among other provisions, applies to almost all “semiautomatic firearms,” as defined in the bill, being rifles, shotguns and pistols that law-abiding citizens commonly use for recreation, hunting, self defense and competitive shooting, and would regulate the import, sale, manufacture, transfer and receipt of such “firearms, devices or combination of parts”. Possession of such firearms, devices and combination of parts would be prohibited starting January 1, 2026 except as permitted in the bill. The bill also bans the new purchase or manufacture of magazines capable of holding over 10 rounds, and mandates the serialization of any currently possessed by New Mexico residents. 

It is critical that you contact your State Senators and urge them to OPPOSE SB 279 to prevent this unconstitutional bill from advancing!

NRA-ILA: Trump Inauguration A Sea Change On The Second Amendment

The Trump Administration is now in power. We can all thank our lucky stars for that.

For the Second Amendment, this means a "sea change" in the direction of gun policy.

The NRA-ILA takes a look at what this change means for our gun rights.

They begin with:

Some elections are won and lost on narrow grounds. But on many of the most important issues of the day, Donald Trump’s policies promise not just to be different from, but the opposite of, Joe Biden’s. One such area is the Second Amendment. Joe Biden was the most anti-gun chief executive since Bill Clinton. Donald Trump, meanwhile, believes in the Second Amendment and has promised to take actions that will affirmatively protect and advance the right to keep and bear arms.

Joe Biden set the tone for his administration’s approach to firearms policy by nominating a professional gun control activist, David Chipman, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The NRA helped defeat Chipman’s appointment, but his successor, Steven Dettelbach, was just as bad on the merits, if not as polarizing a personality.

To read more, go here. 

Kamala Harris Has Already Shown Who She Is

It is very hard for a candidate for any office to hide their past, particularly their statements and policy positions with videos and documents surfacing.

Such is the case of Kamala Harris. She is trying to run away from her anti-Second Amendment past and the NRA-ILA has posted an article on her "big problem" as she has already shown who she is.

The article begins with:

At a town hall event on October 21 in Royal Oak, Michigan, Democrat presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris was asked how she would make “impactful and immediate progress around gun violence” if she was elected with a Republican majority in Congress.

In her by-now classic “word salad” style, Harris responded that she thinks of the issue “through the lens of many experiences,” then touched upon the “direct trauma for those who have been directly affected by gun violence,” and ended up at “the macropoint” – namely, the “false choice” between thinking that one is either in favor of the Second Amendment or that “you want to take everyone’s guns away.” She offered herself as living proof of this “macropoint” because she’s not only a gun owner “in favor of the Second Amendment,” but believes in “assault weapons bans, red flag laws, universal background checks” and other “common sense gun safety laws.”

It was made obvious at the start of the October 21 event that it was tightly scripted. Moderator Maria Shriver told an audience member that only questions that had been “predetermined” would be permitted, with no spontaneous questions from the floor. Even within this forced and stilted setup, Harris fell flat. It took her until the last few seconds of the over five-minute exchange to actually deal with the question. “We need common sense gun safety laws and I will continue, I’ve done it throughout my career, work with all of our colleagues across the aisle and I know that we can make progress,” she said, “but I’m not trying to take anyone’s guns away from them.” 

The explanation for Harris’ emphatic new identity as a gun enthusiast and supporter of constitutional freedoms is that she is struggling to put her past under wraps, a past in which she wholeheartedly embraced extreme gun bans and confiscation, and which has now come back to haunt her.

To read the rest of the article, go here. 

Kamala Harris On Gun Confiscation In Her Own Words

Too bad Kamala Harris's nose doesn't grow like Pinocchio's nose whenever a lie is told. It would've been several feet long when she had her debate with former President Donald Trump.

One big whopper of a lie was on her position of gun confiscation.

The NRA-ILA posted an article on what she has said about gun confiscation in the past.

They begin with:

During the September 10 presidential debate, President Donald Trump correctly highlighted Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s support for gun confiscation. A visibly defensive Harris claimed, “We're not taking anybody's guns away. So stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.”

Harris supports gun confiscation. Harris has repeatedly expressed support for a mandatory gun “buyback” program where Americans would be forced to turn over their firearms to the government for a set price – in other words: gun confiscation.

They then show her position on gun confiscation in her own words.

To read it, go here. 

NRA-ILA: Kamala Harris An Existential Threat To the Second Amendment

His Fraudulency Joe Biden was bad enough on Second Amendment rights, but his soon-to-be-coronated Kamala Harris hold even more extreme anti-gun rights views. After all, she is from the San Francisco Bar Area political machine.

NRA-ILA posted an article on her existential threat to the Second Amendment and her support for gun confiscation.

The begin it with:

Since President Joe Biden unceremoniously dropped out, or was forced out, of the 2024 presidential race on July 21, Vice President Kamala Harris has been effectively coronated as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Gun owners should understand that Harris poses the gravest threat to their Second Amendment rights. In fact, Harris’s record suggests that she does not believe the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms at all. Moreover, Harris has repeatedly called for government confiscation of some of America’s most popular firearms.

To read more, go here. 

JD Vance Is A True Second Amendment Champion

Above, former President Donald Trump and Sen. J. D. Vance at the
2024 Republican National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Anyone who has doubts about Sen. J. D. Vance's bonafides over the Second Amendment, an article posted at NRA-ILA should dispel them.

They begin with:

Last week, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), accepted the Republican party’s nomination for vice president at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, WI. Sen. Vance’s life story is well-known to many through his best-selling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which recounts his familial roots in Eastern Kentucky and his hardscrabble upbringing in Middletown, OH. True to form, President Trump choose a patriot with deep ties to Heartland America and to the values and struggles of its resilient, self-reliant people. JD Vance went on to serve with the U.S. Marines in Iraq, graduate from Ohio State University, and then distinguish himself at Yale Law School. He has not, however, forgotten where he came from. He has an unwavering voting record on Second Amendment issues as a U.S. senator, and his acceptance speech drew the most applause as he recounted finding 19 loaded handguns in his grandmother’s house after her death, which he said reflected her determination never to leave her loved ones unprotected. JD Vance is a solidly pro-gun choice for vice president and can be trusted to protect the rights of America’s gun owners.

To read more, go here. 

NRA Applauds Selection of Vance

Above, Sen. J. D. Vance (with beard) last night at the Republican National Convention last night.

Yesterday, a friend called me to ask about former President Donald Trump's selection of Sen. J. D. Vance to be his running-mate. He had not heard of Vance before and I gave him what little information about him I had.

The National Rifle Association applauds the selection of Vance.

The NRA-ILA posted the following:

Following President Donald J. Trump’s announcement of his selection of U.S. Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate, the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) released the below statements:

“Now, more than ever, freedom and liberty need courageous and virtuous defenders,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA Executive Vice President & CEO. “President Trump and Senator Vance have the guts and the grit to stand steadfast for the Second Amendment. On behalf of millions of NRA members, I wish them Godspeed as we head toward this historic election in November.”

“President Trump has made an outstanding choice in selecting Senator Vance as his vice presidential pick and running mate in the upcoming election,” said Randy Kozuch, Chairman of the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF). “Senator Vance has been an unwavering supporter of constitutional freedoms, especially the right to keep and bear arms. In the U.S. Senate, he has consistently stood against the Biden-Harris gun control agenda. Between now and November, the NRA and its millions of members will engage with America’s gun owners about the importance of electing the Trump-Vance ticket.”

To read more, go here. 

NRA Files Lawsuit On 7-Day Waiting Period in New Mexico!

Above, a card I picked up at Loeffler's Guns in April.

Yesterday, the 7-day waiting period law on gun purchases in New Mexico went into effect.

It was passed by the New Mexico legislature during the 2024 legislative session and signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Yesterday, the National Rifle Association filed suit against this law.

The NRA-ILA posted:

Today, the NRA filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging New Mexico's recently enacted waiting period requirement on firearm purchases.  NRA-ILA Executive Director Randy Kozuch stated:

“The NRA fights every day in Washington, DC, state capitals, and when necessary, the legal arena, to protect the constitutional freedoms of law-abiding Americans and NRA members,” said Randy Kozuch, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). “The State of New Mexico’s waiting period law is a clear violation of its citizens' Second Amendment rights – needlessly delaying their ability to acquire a firearm for self-defense or sporting purposes. With this legal challenge, NRA is committed to seeing that this unconstitutional law be wiped from the state statutes.”

To read more, go here. 

NM Democrats "Importing" Commiefornia's Excise Tax On Firearms

New Mexico's leftist Democrats are trying to emulate the Commiefornia Democrats more and more with each passing day.

The latest is a Commiefornia import: an excise tax on firearms, ammunition, firearm precursor parts and suppressors.

The NRA-ILA reported:

The attacks on the Second Amendment keep coming in the Land of Enchantment!  More anti-gun legislation has been pre-filed this week, this time by State Senator Linda Lopez (D-ABQ), who is proposing a California-style 11% excise tax on firearms, firearm precursor parts, suppressors, and ammunition, to be collected from New Mexico firearms retailers and sporting goods outlets and placed in both the crime victims reparation fund and a fund for services to children and families involved in abuse or neglect situations (the latter being an area where the current administration and state agencies have failed abysmally.)  This bill would make it more expensive for law-abiding citizens to exercise a constitutional right and to practice or train with firearms to become safer and more proficient when using them recreationally, or for hunting, competition or self-defense.

This tax on your Second Amendment rights will not be assigned a bill number until after the New Mexico Legislature convenes next Tuesday, January 16th. 

To read more, go here.