Legislature would back any pro-gun legislation

Is there any pro-gun legislation our Legislature would not support? In spite of the length of the recemt session, they spent valuable time on unnecessary gun issues.

Our legislators were willing, maybe forced, to pander to the gun owners and, more importantly, to the gun lobby whenever a gun issue suits the NRA and its minions in our state house.

Two examples. First, HB 229. The intent of the bill was to prevent the governor from confiscating firearms, or imposing restrictions, in the event of an extreme emergency or a declaration of martial law.

The Idaho Constitution says, in Article I, Section 11, providing the right to keep and bear arms, “Nor shall any law permit the confiscation of firearms, except those actually used in the commission of a felony.”

Now, I’m no constitutional scholar, but that language appears clear, even to me. How can this be seen as anything but prostrating oneself before Idaho’s paranoid gun owners?

The second may be worse. Both houses voted overwhelmingly for HB 287 to shield employers from civil liability if they adopt policies allowing employees to keep guns in their cars, parked on company property. This bill was offered in response to information that Cabela’s had a policy denying employees the right to keep guns in their cars while parked on company property.

Cabela’s notified the bill’s sponsor that employees can have guns in their cars. Mr. Thompson was given erroneous information from the major supporter of the bill — the NRA.

What’s amazing is, that in spite of the NRA’s duplicity, the Senate still voted to pass the bill.

BOB WYNHAUSEN

Sandpoint