Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee passed Rep. Lucy McBath’s (D-GA) red flag legislation on Wednesday.
The legislation, H.R. 2377, authorizes the seizure of firearms via the ex parte issuance of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).
H.R. 2377 stipulates that individuals can request ERPOs at no cost to themselves and the text of the bill does not require that the respondents of ERPOs commit crimes to justify issuance. Rather, the ERPOs are issued on the basis that a judge believes “the respondent poses a risk of imminent personal injury to himself or herself, or another individual, by purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm or ammunition.”
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) called out the Democrat’s red flag legislation, pointing out that it”[allows] an individual to petition a court to have an individual’s firearms and ammunition confiscated without alleging any criminal activity.”
Steube tweeted:
Steube further explained his opposition to the red flag legislation by pointing to a 2018 study by the Crime Prevention Research Center’s John Lott and William and Mary’s Carlisle E. Moody.
According to the study, “Red flag laws had no significant effect on murder, suicide, the number of people killed in mass public shootings, robbery, aggravated assault, or burglary. There is some evidence that rape rates rise. These laws apparently do not save lives.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.