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Gun Background Check Executive Order Will Be Signed by Tennessee Governor

Matt OHern
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Gun Background Check Executive Order Will Be Signed by Tennessee Governor

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee broke with party norms and announced his plan to sign an executive order to expand gun background checks. In a Facebook post, Lee wrote:

“I visited with Metropolitan Nashville Police Department & outlined next steps to secure schools & protect Tennesseans. I’m asking the TN legislature to pursue a new “Order of Protection Law” to separate dangerous individuals from firearms, while preserving constitutional rights. I also signed an Executive Order to ensure the existing background check process provides law enforcement with up-to-date information & more closely guarantees the safe, lawful purchase of firearms”

During Lee’s speech, he emphasized how challenging the past two weeks have been for the state.

“The past two weeks have not only challenged those who were involved in this from a law enforcement standpoint, it’s challenged everything you’ve seen,” Lee said. “The tragedy. The struggle. My family included. Everyone’s family. Six innocent lives lost, three of those being children. It has certainly been a stark reminder to all of us about what really matters.I’ve said before that when you’re in a situation like that, the truth is that we’re facing evil itself, and we can’t stop evil, but we can do something.”

Lee went on to outline his vision for new legislation.

“When there is a clear need for action, I think that we have an obligation, and I certainly do, to remind people that we have to set aside politics and pride,and accomplish something that people of Tennessee want to get accomplished. It’s been a very emotionally charged couple of weeks, but we have to stay focused on the path forward. Tennesseans are depending on us…It is important to find a way to find a way to remove individuals who are a threat to themselves or society, to remove them from access to weapons. I’m asking the legislature to bring forth, thoughtful, practical measures to do that, to strengthen our laws, to separate those people from firearms, while at the same time preserving the constitutional rights of the people of this state…This newer, stronger, order of protection law will provide the broader population cover, safety, from those who are a danger to themselves, or to the population. Protective orders are led by law enforcement, they have a high standard burden of proof, there is due process that requires clear and convincing evidence. There is a process that a person that has shown that they are a real threat to themselves or to others, that individual shall not possess firearms. Our judicial system is prepared.”

Florida May Pull Liquor Licenses from Bars that Admit Children Into Shows with Nudity or Drag Queens

Matt OHern
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Florida May Pull Liquor Licenses from Bars that Admit Children Into Shows with Nudity or Drag Queens

The Florida State Senate approved Republican state Sen. Clay Yarborough’s bill that increases penalties if kids are allowed at performances that depict sexual conduct or lewd exposure. The Senate passed the bill 28-12 and the Florida House version is still working through the committee process.

A summary of the proposed legislation reads, “Protection of Children; Authorizes Department of Business Regulation to fine, suspend, or revoke license of any public lodging establishment or public food service establishment that admits child to adult live performance; specifies that violation constitutes immediate, serious danger to public health, safety, or welfare; authorizes fines for first, second, & subsequent violations of certain provisions; specifies that DBPR may revoke or suspend license of person found to be maintaining licensed premises that admits child to adult live performance; prohibits raising of specified arguments as defense in prosecution for certain violations; prohibits person from knowingly admitting child to an adult live performance.”

Critics in Florida Democratic Party, which is significantly outnumbered and suffered its most devastating gubernatorial defeat in history, say that the bill targets transgenders and drag shows.

“We’re here because of drag shows,” said Democratic State Sen. Tracie Davis during her time on the Senate floor. “People find drag shows morally reprehensible and inappropriate. They want to ban them because they are viewed as unnatural.”

State Sen. Linda Stewart, who represents the most lopsided Democratic state senate districts, asserted that the bill targeted “vulnerable” members of the population, but Stewart wasn’t referencing children as the vulnerable members.

“Protecting the children of this state is our most sacred duty, but because this bill isn’t really about protecting children, I stand in opposition,” said Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando. “This unmistakably targets certain members of our population with a vague restraint on their freedom of expression all with a goal of intimidating vulnerable members of our population.”

he Senate and the House version, sponsored by Melbourne Beach Republican Rep. Randy Fine, would make it a first-degree misdemeanor to “knowingly” admit minors to “adult live performances that appeal to “a prurient, shameful, or morbid interest,” or violates what adults deem proper for children to see.

Gen Z Democrat Introduces Gun Control Bill as His First Piece of Legislation

Matt OHern
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Gen Z Democrat Introduces Gun Control Bill as His First Piece of Legislation

Maxwell Frost, a self-described Socialist and gun control activist submitted his first piece of legislation today with Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy (D), who is also known of ardent support of gun control.

Frost, who has no college education and whose career experience involves being an Uber driver, became the first Generation Z Congressman after he won in one of Florida’s most liberal districts in the 2022 Midterm Election.

Below is an official statement on the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act” bill, (sponsored only by Democrats) from Frost:

“The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is the most significant gun safety legislation in thirty years, and we need to make sure the federal government is totally focused on using it to save as many lives as humanly possible. A dedicated office at the Department of Justice will help make sure state, local, and federal agencies are working together to enforce gun safety laws, educate the public, and fund gun violence prevention programs that work. I’m proud to partner with Congressman Frost on this legislation to ensure ending gun violence remains a top priority for every Administration – Republican or Democratic,” saidMurphy.

“A central point of leadership is vital to federal efforts against the epidemic of gun violence,” said Blumenthal. “This new office can help marshal and focus the diverse resources and partners necessary to make progress. It can bring together survivors, students, veterans, families and others tragically impacted with policymakers and law enforcement officials in hands-on programs to stop this scourge. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention would be more than just a symbol; it would mobilize professionals across federal agencies, enable outreach to state and local leaders, collect and report more data, and innovate with other expanded action.  This proposal should be noncontroversial and bipartisan.” 

Specifically, the newly created Office of Gun Violence Prevention would:

  1. Convene an Advisory Council of senior DOJ officials, survivors, community violence intervention providers, public health officials, medical professionals who provide trauma care, mental health clinicians, state and local public health department officials, teachers, members of student groups, and veterans.
  2. Coordinate gun violence prevention efforts across federal agencies. 
  3. Identify gaps in data needed for gun violence prevention research, policy development, and strategy implementation, and develop a plan to collect and analyze the data. 
  4. Make policy recommendations.
  5. Educate the general public about federal laws, regulations, and available grant programs, including awareness campaigns directed at firearm owners, parents and legal guardians of minors, and gun violence prevention professionals, that include education related to safe storage of firearms and suicide prevention.
  6. Optimize the administration of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
  7. Annually report information to Congress on gun violence in the United States, recommendations for policy initiatives to reduce gun violence, and a description of the Director’s activities. 

“Gun deaths are a crisis in America, and it demands a crisis response. For some time now, March For Our Lives has called on the President to establish an Office of Gun Violence prevention to help coordinate the government’s response to the epidemic of gun death,” said David Hogg, Co-Founder of March For Our Lives. “This bill would do just that, and ensure that the government takes a holistic approach to ending gun violence at its roots. I’m grateful to Senator Murphy, a dear friend of the movement, for proposing this bill, and overjoyed to see another dear friend proposing it in the House–Rep. Maxwell Frost. We knew that when we elected our first ever Gen-Z member of congress, we would have a clear, courageous, and consistent voice for our generation. We have that now in Representative Frost, his first bill clarifies what young people have long been calling for–action on gun safety now.”

“Since my neighbor killed 20 children and six educators in Sandy Hook Elementary School over 10 years ago, over one million Americans have been shot, there have been over 4,400 mass shooting incidents, and the number of gun deaths is steadily rising. It’s long past time for the federal government to get serious about ending the gun violence public health crisis in our nation. A federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention is needed to ensure ending gun violence is a permanent national priority and we thank Representative Frost and Senator Murphy for introducing this crucial legislation and we urge Congress to urgently pass the bill and deliver it to President Biden’s desk,” saidPo Murray, the chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance. 

“Ten years ago, I survived the Sandy Hook shooting at my elementary school. Since then, guns have become the number one cause of death for American children and teens. For the last decade, we grew up being traumatized and retraumatized by more school shootings, mass shootings, lockdowns, and escalating gun violence in our streets and homes in all corners of America. Enough is enough. We need the federal government to act with a sense of urgency to protect kids from gun violence and passing a bill establishing an Office of Gun Violence Prevention will signal to all young people that our lives matter,” said Nicole Melchionno, co-chair of Jr. Newtown Action Alliance.

“The establishment of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, as proposed by the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act, epitomizes the innovative and bold effort to create an all of governmental to tackle the pervasive issue of gun violence,” stated Greg Jackson, Executive Director of Community Justice Action Fund. “Considering gun violence is a leading cause of premature death for children, Black men and women, and Latino men in the United States, our communities are in dire need of a comprehensive, multi-faceted public health response. Community Justice Action Fund is eager to collaborate with dedicated leaders like Congressman Maxwell Frost and Senator Chris Murphy, who are unwavering in their commitment to address the underlying causes of violence, support survivors, transform communities, and most importantly, save lives.”

“The multifaceted nature of gun violence requires comprehensive solutions, and this bill will provide a much-needed framework for coordinated federal action, research, and resources when our country needs it most. By bringing together the efforts of multiple federal agencies to study, investigate, and develop policies that reduce gun violence in all of its forms, this legislation will help ensure that the U.S. is better equipped to protect communities across the country. Brady is proud to endorse this legislation and applauds Senator Murphy and Congressman Frost for their leadership,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady.

“Hope is not a strategy. America needs coordinated action to tackle the devastating impact gun violence has in Americans’ daily lives. Bravo to Senator Murphy, Senator Blumenthal and Representative Frost for innovating a new, effective way to fight this uniquely American epidemic. Public policy can save lives,” said Kitty Brandtner, founder of March Fourth.

Republicans Join Democratic Senator to Fight Insulin Price Hikes

Matt OHern
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Republicans Join Democratic Senator to Fight Insulin Price Hikes

Louisiana Senators John N. Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, who is also a physician, are working with Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock (Ga) to reduce the cost of insulin.

Earlier this week, Cassidy said the prescriptions in short supply are the diabetic medications that help people lose weight. Those, he added, are crucial to Louisiana diabetics.

“The federal government can look at the supply chain,” Cassidy said. “Is there a place where one of the actors in the supply chain is just taking a little too much for themselves? [They are] not sharing it with the patient, not sharing it with the small business that is paying for the drugs ultimately.”

Cassidy’s comments come a couple of weeks after Kennedy and Warnock introduced Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023. According to a press release from Warnock, the act would cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 a month for insured and uninsured people. This effort builds on legislation Senator Warnock introduced last Congress to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 a month for people on private insurance and Medicare.

“As a pastor, I’ve sat in waiting rooms with families and prayed at bedsides,” Warnock told MSNBC. “I know the human cost of diabetes”

“While the world waits for a cure to diabetes, I am glad to join Sen. Warnock in offering a bipartisan solution to the rising cost of insulin for Louisianians and Americans living with diabetes. By making preventative care more accessible, this bill would reduce long-term health care costs for individual patients, avoid devastating complications from diabetes and take pressure off the entire health care system,” said Kennedy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medical costs and lost work and wages for people with diagnosed diabetes total $327 billion yearly, and the American Diabetes Association has asserted that diabetics account for $1 of every $4 spent on health care in the U.S. 

Rubio Criticizes Biden for Disregarding His Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act

Matt OHern
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Rubio Criticizes Biden for Disregarding His Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act

Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) and Montana Senator Steve Daines (R) sent a letter criticizing U.S. President Joe Biden’s Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough for announcing the VA will ignore important provisions of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act that require the agency to hold bad employees accountable.

“As we conduct oversight, it is our job to ensure veterans receive the best experience possible at the VA, and we expect that the VA will put veterans first during all decisions about employee management,” Rubio said.

The letter reads:

Dear Secretary McDonough:

We write with concern that, starting April 3, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will begin to disregard current law under the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-41). This bipartisan law protects whistleblowers at the VA and provides the Secretary with the authority to hold bad VA employees accountable by allowing the dismissal of employees for poor performance or misconduct. Our nation’s veterans deserve only the best and most qualified employees serving them when they seek assistance from the VA. We are concerned that the VA is making excuses for employees’ poor performance and putting bureaucratic interests ahead of veterans’ well-being.

As we have said countless times, more often than not, VA facilities are staffed by exceptional employees, who have nobly chosen to pursue a career dedicated to our nation’s heroes. Many VA employees are veterans themselves, which speaks to the selfless testament of their service to our nation. The VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act stemmed from concerns that we had heard that the VA did not have the authority to hold the small portion of bad employees accountable for their actions. These employees have criminal records, stole medication from VA facilities, or have done other egregious actions that suggest they are unfit to work for the VA, and to serve our veterans, their caregivers, and families. Yet, the VA was stuck in lengthy disciplinary actions that are costly to the taxpayer, and there was need for reform leading to this landmark law.

During consideration of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, then- Secretary David Shulkin stated that the VA lacked the authorities needed to punish bad employees, and the VA needed a “new set of tools” to do right by veterans. He stated that new authorities are “necessary” in order to serve our country’s veterans.  This law was not some partisan play to punish the VA, its employees, or veterans. It’s the exact opposite. This law was crafted with support of several veterans’ service organizations, from feedback and work with the VA and passed both chambers overwhelmingly. The law cuts the bureaucratic red tape to ensure that the VA does the right thing, holds its employees to the highest standards and removes those who do not put the needs and wellbeing of veterans at the center of their work.

What is most concerning about the VA’s move is that recent reporting suggests that the VA will rely on authorities in place prior to enactment of VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. The bipartisan consensus in 2017, and the VA’s own view of the issue, was that the VA did not have authorities needed to ensure that bad employees could be held accountable for their actions. As we conduct oversight, it is our job to ensure veterans receive the best experience possible at the VA, and we expect that the VA will put veterans first during all decisions about employee management.

To that end, we request the following information:

1. What authorities does the VA believe is sufficient for ensuring that bad employees can swiftly be removed from their position if they are deemed to not be acting in the best interest of veterans in their role?

2. What factors led to VA’s decision to no longer abide by the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act?

3. Will previously terminated employees be allowed to return to working at the VA? If so, how did the VA deem that they are suited to return to their role? 

4. As the VA has promised to hold employees accountable, what authorities will the VA need following the April 3 cessation in order to do this?

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your prompt response.

Two Southern Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Combat Food Price Inflation

Matt OHern
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Two Southern Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Combat Food Price Inflation

With millions of Americans living paycheck to paycheck and one major home or car repair away from financial ruin, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) recently introduced the bipartisan “Farm Operations Support Act.”

In the most recent year-long report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for food at home increased 13.5 percent over 2022 from the previous span in 2021. According to a news release from Sen. Tillis, the Farm Operations Support Act would revert the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) to the December 2022 rate for the remainder of 2023. The AEWR in North Carolina rose 5 percent from $14.16/hour to $14.91/hour in January 2023.

“From crippling labor shortages to skyrocketing input costs, farmers in North Carolina and across the country are facing unprecedented challenges,” Tillis said. “The H-2A visa program has long been a last-resort option for farmers as a legal and reliable source of labor to plant, grow, and harvest their crops; however, the wage rate farmers are required to pay by the Department of Labor has long outpaced the rate of inflation and become unsustainable. This year’s increase has only exacerbated the current national labor crisis. While our farmers need broader programmatic reforms, this necessary legislation will give temporary relief to their rapidly rising input costs while maintaining worker pay and protections and allow U.S. farmers to continue doing what they do best—producing the safest, most abundant and affordable supply of food and fiber in the world.”

“North Carolina Farm Bureau thanks Senator Tillis for his tireless work to address the labor needs of North Carolina’s farmers,” said Shawn Harding, President of the North Carolina Farm Bureau. “This bill is a reasoned approach to reducing one of agriculture’s most pressing concerns. Providing short-term Adverse Effect Wage Rate relief is a positive stop-gap until long-term agricultural labor reform is a reality.”

Senate Could Codify Right to Bear Arms if It Passes ‘Respect for Second Amendment Act’

Matt OHern
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Senate Could Codify Right to Bear Arms if It Passes ‘Respect for Second Amendment Act’

As Americans continue to debate gun control vs. gun rights, two southern senators, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in introducing the Respect for the Second Amendment Act to protect an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. 

The legislation would codify the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen. 

“Congress has the ability to use its authority to guard against state overreach—and that is what this bill does. At a time when the constitutional right to keep and bear arms is under attack in courtrooms throughout America, we must ensure that the Supreme Court’s decision about the Second Amendment is not only legal precedent but that the law preserves it forever,” said Kennedy, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “The Supreme Court has spoken very clearly in Heller and Bruen on the Second Amendment: We have an individual right to own a gun.” he added.

On the topic of gun ownership, the senator said, “I own several. I also believe that love is the answer, but I do, I own a hand gun just in case.”

“I am very pleased that all Senate Judiciary Republicans are speaking with one voice when it comes to supporting the Second Amendment rights recognized by the Supreme Court in the Heller and Bruen decisions. Now more than ever, it is important that Congress recognize and support that the Second Amendment is an individual right and that the right to bear arms to defend oneself is an integral part of American society. With this bill, we are ensuring that the rights affirmed by the Supreme Court are part of the federal code—and preventing a future Supreme Court from reversing this decision. The Respect for the Second Amendment Act will memorialize the holdings in these landmark Supreme Court cases and provide further protection to the Second Amendment,” said Graham.

According to a press release from Sen. Kennedy, the Respect for the Second Amendment Act would:

  • Create public and private rights of action against any person who seeks to enforce a law, rule or ordinance that violates the constitutional right of an individual to manufacture for personal use, acquire, possess, own, carry, transport or use a privately owned firearm or privately owned ammunition unless that law is consistent with the U.S. Constitution and history of firearm regulation.
  • Prohibit states from rejecting firearms licenses on the sole basis of the license originating under another state’s jurisdiction.
  • Eliminate 18 U.S. Code § 927 so that, on a case-by-case basis, Congress can override state law when it proves an unconstitutional attempt to override the Second Amendment.

Background:

  • New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen brought into question the constitutionality of a New York state law, known as the Sullivan Act, which required those who applied for a concealed carry license to show a special cause for getting a license.
  • The Court held that “New York’s proper-cause requirement violate[d] the Fourteenth Amendment by preventing law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in public for self-defense.” 

Cop Killers Would Get Death Penalty or Life in Prison in Bill Proposed by Arkansas Senator

Matt OHern
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Cop Killers Would Get Death Penalty or Life in Prison in Bill Proposed by Arkansas Senator

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton (R) is raising the stakes for criminals found guilty of murdering law enforcement officers. While such cases are currently judged at the state level, Cotton’s proposed bill, the “Defending Our Defenders Act”, legislation would make the murder of a state or local law enforcement officer a federal crime punishable by life in prison or the death penalty.

Congressman Mike Garcia (CA-27) is introducing companion legislation in the House. Bill text may be found here.

“Law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to defending the rule of law and protecting their fellow citizens. An attack on an officer is an attack on our democracy, and those criminals must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This bill will subject those who murder police to a punishment they deserve, life in prison or the death penalty,” said Senator Cotton.

“The Defund the Police movement and soft-on-crime policies from the far-left have severely handicapped police officers’ ability to confront skyrocketing crime rates and have put these brave men and women in more danger than ever. We must do more to take care of our heroic law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. That’s why I’m proud to join Senator Tom Cotton in introducing this important bill. I named this legislation in honor of a hero of the Antelope Valley, Sgt. Steve Owen, who was brutally murdered in 2016 while on duty. It is critical that we pass this legislation to ensure our law enforcement officers have the protection necessary to do their jobs effectively. The men and women who protect us every day deserve to know that we have their back,” said Congressman Garcia.

According to a news release from Sen. Cotton, Organizations endorsing the legislation include the National Association of Police Organizations, Major County Sheriffs of America, California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations, Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, Los Angeles Police Protective League, and Heritage Action for America.

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