Carl Hill of Hill Top Arms and Attorney Clint Barkdoll weigh in on News Talk 103.7 FM
February 11 – A proposed federal House Bill (127) by Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX) could require gun owners to get a license for their ammunition. “The real issue here is that this bill is a laundry list of things the Democrats have always wanted,” said Carl Hill of Hill Top Arms in Waynesboro. “This would criminalize basically every aspect of gun ownership without first getting permission from the government.”
Additionally, in Pennsylvania, similar legislation has been introduced to require a background check on ammunition sales by State Representative Brian Sims.
The topic came up a few times on the local-live morning radio show First News with Pat Ryan and Michele Jansen.
Attorney Clint Barkdoll said this isn’t the first time something like this has come up in Pa.
“This has been proposed before,” Barkdoll noted. “I just don’t see the votes being in the (state) House or the Senate to make this happen. I don’t want to say it’s a publicity stunt, but I think Sims is responding to some pressure from constituents that want to see this.”
Hill worries about the ramifications of bringing something like this up in either the federal or state governments.
Hill said, “The real danger is you’re going to see elements of it show up elsewhere.” Legislators will present another measure and push for approval because it’s not as “draconian as the last one. It’s going to seek to normalize less drastic proposals.”
Pat Ryan said it’s “how they work. Let’s go for everything and we’ll settle for where we really want it to be in the first place.” Michele Jansen called it the Overton Window. “It’s how you put something out that’s much farther than what you really want just so you can then pull back and say look how reasonable this is.”
Hill thinks that’s exactly what HR 127 is. Hill contacted Representative John Joyce and his staff said he’s taking this very, very seriously. Ryan suggested contacting legislators who aren’t on the side of gun rights and “that’s the people you need to be in touch with.”
“Can you imagine if they proposed something like this for any other right?” Hill pointed out. “Your first amendment right? Before you can express a negative opinion on anything you have to get permission from the AG first? I can’t even imagine it. It’s mind boggling.”
