USA -(Ammoland.com)- Georgia State Senator Bill Heath has introduced Knife Rights’ Georgia Knife Law Reform bill, SB 49, that would increase the legal carry length of a knife blade in the state from 5.5 inches to 12 inches. Sen. Heath was the sponsor of Knife Rights’ Georgia Knife Law Preemption bill that was enacted in 2012.
SB 49 is co-sponsored by Senators William Ligon, Jr., Tyler Harper, Marty Harbin, Bruce Thompson and Frank Ginn.
HB 49 has not yet been assigned to a committee. Once assigned we’ll let you know who to contact to help move the bill forward.
Efforts to completely eliminate the carry length limit have been stymied due to the manner in which a knife is defined in Georgia Law. Eliminating the length limit entirely requires significant changes to over 30 pages of laws on the books, which at this time would not be acceptable to the legislature.
In the end, it was determined that the best practical alternative was to significantly increase the blade carry length to 12 inches.
This will make life much better for knife owners in Georgia without hampering future efforts to completely eliminate the carry length limit at some future opportunity.
Colorado Switchblade/Gravity Knife Ban Repeal Advances
SB 17-008 to repeal Colorado’s Switchblade and Gravity Knife bans has passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 4-1. It now moves to the full senate for a vote.
The bill legalizes the possession and sale of a gravity knife or switchblade by removing such knives from the definition of “illegal weapon.” Knife Rights is working with our friends in Colorado to assure the passage of this bill.
Knife Rights is rewriting knife law in America. Knife Rights passed the nation’s first repeal of a switchblade (automatic) knife ban in 2010 in New Hampshire and has since passed repeal of switchblade bans (and repealed other knife restrictions) in Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
Virginia Switchblade Ban Repeal Advances
House Bill 1432 to repeal Virginia’s Switchblade ban has passed out of the Courts of Justice Committee on a vote of 13-7. It now moves to the full House for a vote. Knife Rights is working with our friends in Virginia to assure that the final language of this bill best serves knife owners.
Knife Rights is rewriting knife law in America. Knife Rights passed the nation’s first repeal of a switchblade (automatic) knife ban in 2010 in New Hampshire and has since passed repeal of switchblade bans (and repealed other knife restrictions) in Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
Originally conceived and authored by Knife Rights in 2010 and first introduced in 2013, the Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2017 (KOPA) now includes repeal of the archaic 1958 Federal Switchblade Act and has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05).
KOPA will remove the irrational restrictions on interstate trade in automatic knives that are legal to one degree or another in 40 states, while also protecting the right of knife owners to travel throughout the U.S. without fear of prosecution under the myriad patchwork of state and local knife laws.
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, “The Federal Switchblade Act was an asinine idea when it was passed in 1958 in a wave of Hollywood-inspired politically motivated hysteria and has only become more irrelevant as time has passed. The majority of states have always allowed switchblade possession and with Knife Rights’ repeal of switchblade bans in 11 states in the past seven years, fully four-fifths of the states now allow switchblade possession to one degree or another. With a Congress and Administration that may be inclined to finally rid the country of this abomination, it is way past time to repeal this law that only serves to interfere with lawful trade and commerce.”
Ritter continued, “from the start Knife Rights has fought successfully to defend the right to carry a knife, an essential tool, in the individual states, cities and towns. The Knife Owners’ Protection Act represents a key step to protect law-abiding knife owners simply passing through areas like New York City where possessing many commonly owned knives that are legal elsewhere may result in arrest and prosecution.”
Besides legalizing interstate trade in popular automatic knives, the measure allows for the secure and safe transportation of knives through jurisdictions where the mere ownership of a certain type of knife is enough to bring arrest and criminal prosecution.
“KOPA will simply provide safe harbor to someone traveling with knives where they can legally be possessed at the points of origin and ultimate destination,” Ritter emphasized, “the bill requires they be locked up during travel in states where they would be illegal. It eliminates the constant jeopardy of criminal prosecution for simply passing through an area. It offers no protection to anyone engaged in criminal activity.”
Knife Rights’ KOPA has teeth to defend those who travel under its protection because it also provides penalties for law enforcement, prosecutors and others who ignore the protections provided.
Similar to the protections and penalties generally provided in USC 1983 to those whose civil rights are violated, a falsely arrested citizen can be compensated for the expense of defending themselves from an unwarranted violation of the rights Congress has protected in KOPA.
Read the Knife Owners’ Protection Act online.
A FAQ on KOPA with additional details and background can be found online.
TAKE ACTION!
Getting this bill introduced is only the first step. We need your help to gain additional co-sponsors. Please call or email your Representative and urge them to co-sponsor this commonsense legislation. You can find your Representative here.
Here’s a model email or call script that you can use. We strongly suggest you keep it simple and to the point:
I support the Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2017. I urge you to become a co-sponsor of this commonsense legislation that will protect my rights and the rights of all knife owners to travel throughout the U.S. without fear of prosecution under the myriad of state and local knife laws and it also repeals outdated federal provisions related to switchblade knives which burden citizens and lawful commerce in these popular and widely available tools that are legal to possess in 40 states.
About Knife Rights:
Knife Rights (www.kniferights.org) is America’s grassroots knife owners organization, forging a Sharper Future™ for all knife owners. Knife Rights is dedicated to providing knife owners an effective voice to influence public policy. In the past six years, Knife Rights has passed pro-knife legislation repealing knife bans in 15 states and stopped anti-knife legislation in 7 states. Knife Rights also leads a federal civil rights lawsuit against New York City and the New York District Attorney over their persecution of knife owners. Knife Rights is the Second Front in Defense of the Second Amendment. Become a Knife Rights member and make a contribution to support the fight for your knife rights.
Visit www.kniferights.org