Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

Nevada: After Imposing Unenforceable Laws on Washingtonians, Bloomberg Sets Sights on Nevada

Friday, February 13, 2015

Nevada: After Imposing Unenforceable Laws on Washingtonians, Bloomberg Sets Sights on Nevada

An article that recently ran in the Nevada Appeal lists the top 5 political donors in the 2014 Nevada election cycle and billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun PAC made the list.  This, in conjunction with the recently qualified ballot initiative that seeks to criminalize private-party transfers absent a background check, clearly demonstrates that Bloomberg has focused his anti-gun agenda on the Silver State.  This initiative is similar to Senate Bill 221, which was vetoed by Governor Sandoval in the 2013 legislative session.

Bloomberg’s Initiative Petition 2 (IP 2) does nothing to address the many criminal and mental health records missing from the background check system.  It instead only focuses on criminalizing private firearm transfers among law-abiding gun owners.  In 2013, just after SB 221 was vetoed, an article highlighted nearly 2,000 mental health records which would have acted as disqualifiers that were not sent to NICS.  Again this past summer, the Department of Public Safety appeared before an interim committee at the legislature requesting additional funding for staff to help input the backlog of nearly 800,000 criminal records that are also missing, some records going back 20 years.  The Department of Public Safety estimates that with the additional staff it will take about four years to fill the backlog.

Initiative Petition 2 would not keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and diverts attention and resources away from real solutions that could prevent violent crime.  If there are almost 800,000 criminal records and nearly 2,000 mental health records missing from the database, then who exactly is being entered into the prohibited possessor database?  In a state with a population just less than 3 million, an oversight of nearly 800,000 records is staggering.

The deeply flawed background check initiative contains many problems beyond an incomplete set of records.  A prime example of this would be the hunting or shooting-range exemption.  The recipient of a temporary transfer can only possess the firearm in all places where it’s legal to hunt or at an established shooting range.  For example, this would make it quite difficult to travel to your hunting location or shooting range without breaking the proposed law.  Furthermore, nothing in the initiative provides for a form of receipt or record retention by either the transferor or transferee.  In the event someone has legally transferred a firearm, how will law enforcement know if the transfer was lawful?  Is the burden on the gun owner to prove the firearm was not part of an illegal transfer?  Could this mean an ordinary traffic stop could turn into hours of turmoil attempting to track down records?  Again, IP 2 would only ensnare unsuspecting and otherwise law-abiding gun owners. 

It is definitely plausible that Bloomberg’s next move would be to push for full registration in order to avoid these “problems”.  This would go hand in hand with the January 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice that concluded the effectiveness of “universal” background checks depends on requiring full gun registration, something Bloomberg and other misguided anti-gun extremists are truly after.

Earlier this week the Senate voted to uphold Governor Sandoval's veto of Senate Bill 221. We applaud the Senate's commitment to stand firm with the Governor, and to stand against Bloomberg and his efforts to infringe on your rights. Please call your legislators and tell them to reject Initiative Petition 2. The Legislature has until March 13th to take action on the petition. If they reject or take no action it will be sent to the 2016 ballot, if they approve the petition and the Governor signs, then it becomes law. Your legislators need to send a strong message that this deceptive and misguided effort to criminalize private firearm transfers will not be tolerated in the Silver State.  Your NRA will continue to be in strong opposition of any effort that erodes your Second Amendment rights and negatively impacts law-abiding gun owners.  Please continue to check your email and www.nraila.org for further updates.

For information on locating who your legislators are and how to contact them, click here.

TRENDING NOW
United Nation’s Attack on Ammunition Formally Begins

News  

Monday, July 7, 2025

United Nation’s Attack on Ammunition Formally Begins

The recently concluded negotiations on the United Nations’ Global Framework on Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management (Framework) should be of grave concern to anyone who values the constitutional protections afforded by the Second Amendment. 

U.K. Embarks on Fresh Knife Amnesty, Reminds Americans Why 1776 was a Good Idea

News  

Monday, July 7, 2025

U.K. Embarks on Fresh Knife Amnesty, Reminds Americans Why 1776 was a Good Idea

It has been a while since we’ve looked at weapon news from across the pond, but with Americans everywhere having just celebrated the Glorious Fourth and our independence from British monarchy, the timing seems particular ...

NRA and 2A Allies Announce NFA Lawsuit

Monday, July 7, 2025

NRA and 2A Allies Announce NFA Lawsuit

Following the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill”—which eliminates the National Firearms Act of 1934’s (NFA) excise tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and AOWs—the National Rifle Association issued a joint statement along with the ...

President Trump Signs the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into Law

News  

Friday, July 4, 2025

President Trump Signs the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into Law

Earlier today, on the 4th of July, a day on which our Founding Fathers declared their intent for a free nation, the President of the United State of America, Donald Trump, signed the “One Big ...

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, completely removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

Congress Passes the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Now Headed to President Trump

News  

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Congress Passes the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Now Headed to President Trump

Earlier today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This bill contained a provision that would, among other things, eliminate the burdensome $200 excise tax imposed by federal law on suppressors, short-barreled firearms, ...

Maine: Public University Professor Belittles Student for 2A and Religious Views

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Maine: Public University Professor Belittles Student for 2A and Religious Views

Maine's public education system has recently faced national scrutiny, and it appears things are only getting worse, not better, in the Pine Tree State. 

Progress in the Fight to Protect the Firearms Industry and Gun Owners from Financial Discrimination

News  

Monday, July 7, 2025

Progress in the Fight to Protect the Firearms Industry and Gun Owners from Financial Discrimination

In June, the American firearms industry lodged a resounding victory against attempts by gun control advocates to put it out of business with frivolous lawsuits when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its 9-0 ruling in Smith & Wesson ...

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY, NORRIS N. JERNIGAN!

Take Action  

Monday, July 7, 2025

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY, NORRIS N. JERNIGAN!

As we celebrate this remarkable milestone for this remarkable man, we honor the life and legacy of Norris N. Jernigan, a World War II veteran who served in the intelligence office with the 393rd Bomb Squadron of the ...

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

In case you missed the media firestorm last week, a progressive professor at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, Maine, has come under fire for her emails belittling a student for her religious beliefs and views ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.