Becker Takes 3rd Shot at Limiting Enforcement of Fed’s Gun Laws

Rep. Rick Becker (R - District 7) delivers a speech explaining his No vote on SB 2015 at the conclusion of the 66th Legislative Assembly. Becker laid out the significant growth of government and missed opportunities to bring greater tax relief to the people of North Dakota. (Photo via screenshot.)

Rep. Rick Becker (R – District 7) is about as pro-gun as they come in the North Dakota State Legislature. The Father of Constitutional Carry in North Dakota is proving this once again by proposing House Bill 1383.

If passed, HB 1383 would prohibit any state agency, political subdivision, or law enforcement officer from participating in “the investigation, prosecution, or enforcement of a violation of a federal statute, order, rule, or regulation purporting to regulate a firearm, firearm accessory, or firearm ammunition”. In a nutshell, North Dakota would be forbidden from participating in the enforcement of anything related to the feds and guns.

This bill has a bit of history to it. Rep. Becker also sponsored the legislation during the 2019 session, but it was defeated in the House on a vote of 30-62. Another version of it — co-sponsored by Becker — actually passed the House in 2013 (50-42), but didn’t even come close to passing when it hit the Senate (7-38) that year.

The 2013 version actually came about just after Barrack Obama was re-elected President in 2012. Speculation at the time was that serious gun control measures were on the horizon, though Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House.

Fast forward to today and the circumstances surrounding potential gun control legislation, at the federal level, are far more dire than they were in 2013. With Joe Biden occupying the White House and a Democrat majority in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, it’s almost a certainty we’ll see very serious gun control measures being proposed.

If you haven’t looked at the Biden/Harris agenda regarding guns, then I highly recommend you do so now. You can find it here.

Undoubtedly, one of the reasons some legislators have voted against efforts like Becker’s in the past is because lawmakers get uncomfortable with the idea of not cooperating with the federal government. Nevertheless, the legislation is on sound legal footing. It’s known as the “Anti-commandeering Doctrine”.

As you can see explained in full here, the Anti-commandeering Doctrine exists as a result of the Supreme Court’s holding that states do not have to participate in the enforcement of federal acts or regulatory programs.

Make no mistake about it, gun grabbers in DC are salivating at the idea of passing unprecedented gun control regulations. North Dakota’s lawmakers need to ensure our state has no part in enforcing any of it.

(Note: House Bill 1383 has not been scheduled for a committee hearing yet. But it has been assigned to the Political Subdivisions Committee. Please, watch as it progresses through the legislative process. And more importantly, let members of the committee and your legislators know you want to see this bill passed.)

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Sources:

  1. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/67-2021/bill-index/bi1383.html
  2. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/63-2013/bill-index/bi1183.html
  3. https://joebiden.com/gunsafety/
  4. https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2018/05/23/anti-commandeering-an-overview-of-five-major-supreme-court-cases/
  5. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/67-2021/committees/house/political-subdivisions
  6. https://www.legis.nd.gov/lcn/assembly/constituentViews/public/findmylegislator.htm
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.