Gun owners may have no better ally in Washington than Attorney General John Ashcroft, once featured in a National Rifle Association magazine cover story as "a breath of fresh air" in the capital. Now that Ashcroft's Justice Department has taken over the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, gun control supporters are concerned he could begin chipping away at enforcement rules. They say the switch gives Ashcroft the opportunity to weaken oversight and... (GunPolicy.org)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Senate Majority Leader Michael Waddoups is sponsoring a bill in behalf of prosecutors that would clarify that people with concealed-weapons permits may carry their firearms onto school grounds. Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, is sponsoring the bill at the behest of the Statewide Association of Prosecutors to clear up a conflict between two statutes. A Senate criminal-justice committee heard an explanation of the bill but took no action, asking a... (GunPolicy.org)

Second Amendment experts say current gun control laws are preventing law abiding African Americans from acting in self-defense against the illegally armed criminals that infest their inner-city neighborhoods. "Racism still is a big part of gun control," said Kenn Blanchard, a former federal law enforcement officer and author of Black Man With A Gun, A Responsible Gun Ownership Manual For African Americans. "Anywhere that there are no concealed-carry's, there's also a... (GunPolicy.org)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A concealed weapons bill essentially the same as one that was passed in the House last session but died in a conference committee has been revived in the Legislature. Rep. Jim Aslanides, a Republican from Coshocton, on Tuesday introduced the measure, along with 55 bipartisan co-sponsors, that would allow citizens who meet certain requirements to carry concealed weapons. The House and Senate passed such bills last year but the legislation died before... (GunPolicy.org)

FORT COLLINS, Colorado — The Larimer County commissioners on Tuesday reversed direction and adopted a "workplace violence prevention policy" that bans guns at work. The personnel policy, unanimously approved by the three Republican commissioners, prohibits Larimer County's 1,400 employees from carrying guns on the job. Exceptions may be granted for workers who feel personally threatened, have concealed-weapons permits or get written permission from their bosses. The... (GunPolicy.org)

If there's a positive side to the federal government's gun registration program, it's the number of old, unsafe firearms that are coming out of closets and heading for the scrapyards. That's small consolation to shooting enthusiasts that know that the registration fiasco means many people will simply have good firearms destroyed, rather than go through the hassle of the registration process. In addition to some quality firearms, many antique guns and important... (GunPolicy.org)

The documentary film "Bowling for Columbine" arrived in town at an opportune time since the whole gun control issue seems to be heating up again, making The Bee's Opinion pages once more a battleground of angry accusations and clamorous misconceptions. How nice it would be, I thought as I sat through Michael Moore's brilliant film (thanks to the State Theatre for making that possible), if a little common sense could be applied to the controversy. We've all heard enough... (GunPolicy.org)

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is pushing its own version of tort reform in the form of a bill that would protect gun dealers and manufacturers from civil liability suits when a weapon they sell is used to commit a crime. Last year, 47 senators and 232 House members signed on as cosponsors of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which NRA lobbyists say is their top priority on Capitol Hill this year. The legislation never went to the full House for a... (GunPolicy.org)

This week, two unlikely judges shared a small moment of justice on behalf of the Second Amendment. In Florida, Judge Jorge Labarga, of butterfly ballot fame, threw out a $1.2 million award against the distributor of a handgun used by a kid to shoot his teacher. In the Ninth Circuit, Carter appointee Stephen Reinhardt returned to an earlier antigun opinion and deleted references to the work of Michael Bellesiles, the historian whose Bancroft Prize was revoked because of... (GunPolicy.org)