Feds: States' Growing Gun-Rights Movement a Threat?

Montana's Firearms Law Continues to Draw Fire From Feds

WEAPONS OF CHOICE
Feds: States' growing gun-rights movement a threat
Attorneys argue laws 'void' because of impact on 'interstate commerce'
Posted: May 20, 2010 10:55 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh

The federal government is arguing in a gun-rights case pending in federal court in Montana that state plans to exempt in-state guns from various federal requirements themselves make the laws void, because the growing movement certainly would impact "interstate commerce."

The government continues to argue to the court that the Commerce Clause in the U.S. Constitution should be the guiding rule for the coming decision. The argument plays down the significance of both the Second Amendment right to bear arms and the 10th Amendment provision that reserves to states all prerogatives not specifically granted the federal government in the Constitution.

WND has reported both on the lawsuit filed by Montana interests seeking affirmation of the 2009 Montana Firearms Freedom Act as well as the growing movement that has seen six other states, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Tennessee and Arizona, follow with similar laws.

Here are answers to all your questions about guns, ammunition and accessories.

The movement worries the federal government. In a brief filed this week in support of government demands that the case be dismissed, posted on the website for the Firearms Freedom Act, attorneys wrote, "Because an illicit market for firearms exists nationwide, a 'gaping hole' in federal firearm regulation would persist if firearms made and sold in Montana were exempted from compliance."

The brief continued, "Moreover, six states have followed Montana's lead in enacting 'virtually identical' Firearms Freedom Acts, and an additional 22 have proposed similar legislation. … The fact that up to 29 states may essentially 'opt out' of certain federal firearms laws would have an indisputable effect on interstate commerce."

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit previously argued that the Commerce Clause, in the original Constitution, later was modified by both the Second Amendment and 10th Amendment.

In a brief submitted on behalf of Montana lawmakers who wrote and adopted the law, attorneys argued that the state law simply allows Montana citizens to "engage within their state in constitutionally protected activity without burdensome federal oversight."

"It is questionable whether Congress' authority under its conditional spending power or its power to regulate interstate commerce extends to MFFA firearms," the argument continued.

"Where a power had not been granted exclusively to the national government or, where generally granted, had not been exercised … the states retain freedom to legislate," the lawmakers argued.

Montana statehouse

"There is nothing in the MFFA that should offend the powers of the national government," they said. And the lawmakers argued that the Constitution's supremacy clause has no impact because "only laws made in pursuance of the Constitution constitute the supreme law of the land."

In this case, the state is addressing intrastate commerce under its authority under the Second and Tenth Amendments, the brief argued.

Not so, said the feds.

Michael Boldin of the Tenth Amendment Center said Washington likely is looking for a way out of the dispute.

"I think they're going to let it ride, hoping some judge throws out the case," he told WND earlier. "When they really start paying attention is when people actually start following the [state] firearms laws."

WND reported when Wyoming joined the states with self-declared exemptions from federal gun regulation. Officials there took the unusual step of including penalties for any agent of the U.S. who "enforces or attempts to enforce" federal gun rules on a "personal firearm."

The costs could be up to two years in prison and $2,000 in fines for an offender.

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