NRA-ILA Helps Spot and Remove a Subtle Attack Against Gun Rights in House Farm Bill
Anti-gun legislators are always attempting to sneak attacks on gun rights into omnibus legislation, which is why the role of groups like the National Rifle Association – Institute for Legislative Action is so important, monitoring and reporting on these bills and engaging in advocacy to amend them when appropriate.
One such measure was snuck into the House Farm Bill, which targeted commercial greyhound racing. According to the NRA-ILA, “…the vague and overreaching language would have severely restricted – and in many cases effectively banned – longstanding, responsible practices used by sportsmen who train and hunt with dogs.”
The NRA-ILA worked with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson and others to amend the bill and remove the offending language.
Gun Ownership Grows by 21% in California from 2021 to 2025
According to an April 2026 report from the California Department of Justice’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, titled “A Strategic Plan to Sustain California’s Record Progress Against Gun Violence,” the number of legally recorded firearm owners in the state increased by 21% between January 2021 and January 2025.
The report notes that more than 900,000 firearms were lawfully sold or transferred to California residents each year during this period, ironically, as the state also marked its lowest firearm death, suicide, and homicide rates on record.
As in most other jurisdictions, as lawful firearms ownership increases – especially through permitted concealed carry – crime decreases.
Virginia Governor Signs Two More Gun-Control Measures Into Law
On April 22, Governor Spanberger signed two additional gun-control measures into law.
HB1525 immediately bans the possession, transportation, and purchase of handguns and so-called “assault firearms” by adults under 21. It also expands background check requirements on private sales.
SB727 and its companion bill HB1524 ban the carrying of “assault firearms” in public. Under current law, the prohibition on carrying certain shotguns and semi-automatic center-fire rifles and pistols applies to a narrower range of firearms, and only when such firearms are loaded.
Trump’s Pick for ATF Director, Robert Cekada, Goes to Senate Confirmation
Next week, Trump’s nominee for ATF Director, Robert Cekada, will go through the final steps to receive confirmation from the Senate, with a floor vote expected early in the week.
Currently acting as ATF Deputy Director, Cekada is a 20-year bureau veteran with more than 30 years in law enforcement. He received approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 14-8 party-line vote.
Cekada has promised that under his leadership, the agency would “make sure that during the next several years we will follow President Trump’s Second Amendment executive order to review all ATF policies, procedures, and regulations to ensure that none of those infringe upon the Second Amendment, unnecessarily…” according to his testimony before Congress.
Connecticut Glock Ban Passes House of Representatives, Heads to Senate
Blue states banning Glock-style handguns by name have become a bit of a trend, and Connecticut is following the lead of other states like Maryland in doing the same.
The Connecticut House passed House Bill 5043 on April 22, which bans the manufacture, sale, importation, and distribution of so-called “convertible pistols,” which it defines as “semiautomatic handguns with a cruciform trigger bar that can be easily converted to full-auto with a switch.” The bill passed in an 86-64 vote, with 15 Democrats joining all Republicans in opposition.
This ban would outlaw nearly all modern striker-fired pistols, which, of course, is unconstitutional based upon numerous principles. The bill next heads to the Senate for consideration.
Tenth Circuit Gives Mixed Ruling on Colorado’s Ghost Gun Ban
The court’s April 23 ruling is a mixed bag for gun owners. National Association for Gun Rights v. Polis challenges SB 279, a 2023 ban on unserialized firearms (or so-called “ghost guns”).
The recent decision denies the motion for a preliminary injunction to stop enforcement of the bill and remands (or sends back) the case back to the district court for reconsideration in light of two other cases: Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and Ortega v. Grisham.
Unfortunately, the decision turns on a lengthy and complicated interpretation of what “manufacturing” means, in the context of both 3D printing and assembling firearms from a parts kit. The court said assembling kits from parts doesn’t count as “manufacturing” under the law (unlike 3D printing), but does not address the substance of the lawsuit itself, which challenged making NEW frames and receivers. Homemade firearms have long been an American tradition.
Hannah Hill, representing NAGR, provided a lengthy legal analysis of the decision in a post on X.
