Speaker Intros State's Rights Bill Protecting Alaskans' Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Light of Obama Plans

(Juneau) - Alaska Speaker of the House Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, today introduced a bill defending Alaskans' Second Amendment rights in light of President Barack Obama's announced plans to curb gun violence.

Tragedy is not a license for federal encroachment of constitutionally protected freedoms.
~ Rep. Mike Chenault

"We began work on this bill before the President's announcement today, and now I'm extremely glad we did. Twenty-three Executive Orders have been signed into law without a review from Americans' elected representatives," Chenault said. "Tragedy is not a license for federal encroachment of constitutionally protected freedoms. We can all agree that what happened in Newtown, Connecticut was an absolute tragedy. But what we fundamentally disagree on is how you meet the challenge it presented. The President is using it to further his liberal agenda to try and disarm and disenfranchise law-abiding Americans from their enshrined Second Amendment rights. No one should be comfortable with that, regardless of where you sit on the issue."

"As a father, I prayed for those who lost children in the incident, and was sickened that someone would prey on our children," Chenault said. "The President shouldn't parade out children and pull on emotional heart strings on something as important as executing orders to circumvent the Congress and weaken the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Former Fairbanks Representative Mike Kelly stood up for Alaskans' gun rights during the 26th Legislature, and I hope to carry on his legacy with this new bill."

Former Rep. Kelly, R-Fairbanks, sponsored the Alaska Firearm Freedom Act (House Bill 186,) which passed in 2010. That bill exempted firearms, accessories and ammunition manufactured in Alaska from all federal firearm control laws.

House Bill 69, which was read across the House floor today, would build on the principles in Kelly's bill, proposing to charge any federal employee trying to execute one of the President's executive orders with a misdemeanor. The bill is similar to those proposed in Wyoming and Texas.

"We need to lessen federal incursion into our lives and protect our hard-fought rights," Chenault said. "Alaskans deserve the right to protect themselves how they see fit, under the law of the land duly passed by the Congress, not presidential fiat."