2A After January 20th

There are high expectations for Donald Trump in the area of the 2nd Amendment. 

Schuyler County SCOPE publishes a monthly legal update and the following are some of its articles concerning Mr. Trump and 2nd Amendment priorities as well as a brief history of incoming Sen Majority Leader John Thune.

What Donald Trump's 'Concealed Carry Reciprocity' Means for Gun Rights

Donald Trump promised to sign "concealed carry reciprocity" legislation if he won a second term in office. The policy would allow gun owners with a concealed carry permit from one state to legally carry their weapons in other states.

Every state in the U.S. permits some form of concealed carry, but the regulations can vary widely. Some states do not require a permit to carry concealed weapons, while others demand permits, stipulating certain conditions. States such as California and New York have particularly strict requirements.

Trump spelled out his intention to change the law in a 2023 speech, stating: "I will protect the right of self-defense everywhere it is under siege. And I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your second amendment does not end at the state line."

Trump has long campaigned on a pro-gun platform and all three times he has run for president he has received an endorsement from the National Rifle Association (NRA) firearms rights lobby group.

Democrats and groups that advocate for gun control have long opposed "concealed carry reciprocity."

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-concealed-carry-reciprocity-1983740

The Four Federal Gun Violence Prevention Efforts Trump Could Dismantle

Here’s a look at the Biden-era policies most likely to be on the chopping block:

Sacking ATF Director Steve Dettelbach

Closing the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention

The Safer Communities Act’s Gun dealers & background checks and funding for gun violence prevention 

Biden’s executive orders

https://www.thetrace.org/2024/11/trump-gun-violence-policy-biden-election/

Incoming president likely to make more than 100 judicial appointments

The next president will appoint more than 100 federal judges to the bench, providing an opportunity to mold the federal judiciary towards his or her liking.  As of Election Day, there were six vacancies on the high-profile federal circuit courts, and 61 district court vacancies waiting to be filled.

According to recent history, a new president on average has between 200 and 250 Article III judicial appointments during the course of four years in office.

Mike Davis, president of the Article III Project, estimates that there could be 37 circuit court judges eligible for senior status and 80 district court appointments when the new president is sworn in on Inauguration Day.

 A Republican staffer said at this point in the Trump administration, 218 Article III judges had been appointed. “We confirmed a total of 234 Article III nominees during the entire Trump administration,” the staffer told The Washington Times. “To date under the Biden administration, we have confirmed 213 Article III judges.”

There are five pending circuit court nominees and 25 pending district court nominees that Mr. Biden has made, “with several unlikely to be confirmed before the end of the Congress,” the staffer noted.

Judicial appointments have become part of the election debate. In the 2016 presidential race, Mr. Trump was credited with winning over conservative voters by releasing a list of his intended judicial candidates.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/nov/5/incoming-president-likely-make-100 judicial-appoin/

Where John Thune Stands on Gun Control and the Second Amendment

John Thune will be the Senate Majority Leader starting in January and, as such, he will be the most powerful person in the U S Senate.

Moving up to the Senate in 2005 after six years as a Congressman, Thune has supported key gun rights legislation while in office. He co-sponsored the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act in 2005, which protects the American firearms industry from frivolous "lawfare" lawsuits, and has repeatedly attempted to move the needle on nationwide concealed carry reciprocity.

He's also butted heads with the ATF and IRS for a decade on topics ranging from banning common ammunition types to questioning unfair tax audits of licensed gun dealers.

Thune is currently a co-sponsor in the Senate of the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act in the 118th Congress. However, he is not a co-sponsor of pro-suppressor legislation such as the SHUSH Act or the Hearing Protection Act.

https://www.guns.com/news/2024/11/14/where-john-thune-stands-on-gun-control-and-the-second-amendment