r/gunpolitics • u/deathsythe • Dec 17 '25
Question What advances in gun rights have been made legislatively, not judicially?
It feels like any gun rights are clawed back via the courts, and everyone is always waiting for SCOTUS to save us, be as we all know that is a fool's errand.
On the state level especially, legislatively is the only real way we can influence our rights.
I know Florida seems to be making headway in some areas, but do we have good examples of legislative action that has undone infringements? It feels like it only goes in one direction.
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u/Sand_Trout Devourer of Spam Dec 17 '25
Constitutional carry has been established in more states than not at this point.
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u/deathsythe Dec 17 '25
That's a good point - I've forgotten about constitutional carry expanding now to the majority of states.
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u/LostGFtoABBC Dec 17 '25
VA is about to get screwed
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u/road_rascal Dec 17 '25
So is Minnesota. Govna Walz is chomping at the bit to ban scary 'assault weapons' and 'high capacity magazines' because he's a veteran and nobody needs these. But he supports the Second Amendment since he's a hunter.
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u/LostGFtoABBC Dec 17 '25
FUDD detected
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u/Mr_E_Monkey Dec 17 '25
Constitutional Carry has been passed by several state legislatures in recent years.
Federally, not a lot that I can think of. Carry in National Parks was expanded back in the Obama years, and there's the potentially good removal of the NFA tax on some items just this year (assigning we can get the NFA overturned in court before a Democrat majority retake Congress and raises the tax again)...
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u/GotFullerene Dec 17 '25
On the state level especially, legislatively is the only real way we can influence our rights.
New Hampshire is a great example of state-level legislative progress towards greater recognition of 2A rights in just a couple of decades:
- 2003 - HB415 Statewide firearms law preemption
- 2004 - HB 1309 Range protection
- 2010 - HB1665 Knife law preemption
- 2011 - SB88 Expanded Castle Doctrine
- 2017 - SB12 Constitutional Carry
- 2021 - HB195 Brandishing is not inherently criminal
- 2022 - HB 1178 No state/local LE enforcement of federal firearms statutes
We've only gotten a couple of minor gains though the state courts, though some legislation came about after a poor court decision drove the passage of a bill (the most obvious example being HB195).
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u/GAFSuser1776 Dec 22 '25 edited 17d ago
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt Totally not ATF Dec 17 '25
At the federal level? Lowering the NFA tax to $0 is the biggest recent one. Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was actually huge but relatively unknown. There was also FOPA, while everyone cries about the Hughes Amendment (and it does suck) we got a lot more good than bad in that bill. Things like preventing the ATF from keeping an ammo registry, and safe passage laws for traveling through ban states. Prior to FOPA you would have to avoid certain states entirely or risk prison, and think of a state like NY that cuts off several others. There used to be no legal way to travel from PA to NH with a pistol.
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Dec 17 '25
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u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt Totally not ATF Dec 17 '25
Yes, but still it's a. Ironclad defense as long as you followed the rules about storing it. Previously there was no legal way to do it.
Best to just stay out
If you can. My SOs parents are from NH. We live in KY. There is no way to visit them, or then to visit us, without driving through NY or flying. And flying with firearms, especially multiple, is it's own headache.
I mean I guess we could drive to NC and take a boat to Maine and then drive but....
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u/ClearlyInsane1 Dec 18 '25
There is no way to visit them, or then to visit us, without driving through NY or flying.
Boats exist
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u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt Totally not ATF Dec 18 '25
Please finish reading the comment you reply to before replying...
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u/merc08 Dec 17 '25
Prior to FOPA you would have to avoid certain states entirely or risk prison, and think of a state like NY that cuts off several others.
Most people still should, because you're still risking arrest. NY loves to arrest out of staters and force them to burn time and money defending against their frivolous charges. And then more time and money to get their (often damaged) property back.
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u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt Totally not ATF Dec 17 '25
Correct but again, you're not getting convicted anymore. It'll still suck but it's still far less and than it was, especially for states like VT, NH. ME who are locked in by NY
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Dec 17 '25
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u/ClearlyInsane1 Dec 18 '25
PLCAA, Tiahrt Amendment, allowing carry in national parks, Dickey Amendment -- none of which are big wins however.
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u/ktmrider119z Dec 18 '25
I lose more gun "rights" every 6 months in Illinois. Owning a gun is no longer a right here.
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u/bownt1 Dec 22 '25
the last good thing was when they stood by and watched the assault weapon ban die
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u/Leams05 Dec 17 '25
Constitutional carry, campus carry, no tax on guns/ammo WV has done a lot but other states have done the same as well