TOPEKA, KANSAS –-(Ammoland.com)-– Kansas lawmakers are trying to get the state to join Texas in blocking big companies from discriminating against the firearms industry.
State Senator Kellie Warren (R—District 11) introduced SB 482, better known as the Firearm Industry Nondiscrimination (FIND) Act. The bill would prevent banks and other companies from discriminating against firearms businesses, including gun stores. Companies would have to provide written verification that they do not discriminate against the firearms industry before entering into large goods or services contracts with state or local government entities within Kansas. Texas passed a similar bill last year.
“The leftist mob has a radical agenda designed to circumvent our constitutional rights in order to re-engineer society by attacking the gun trade,” said Warren. “Knowing their policies are deeply unpopular in Kansas, they seek to enforce their agenda through woke corporations seeking to cancel our right to bear arms and bully those involved in the commerce of firearms and ammunition. That’s why I’m proud to join with the Republican leadership in the Senate to sponsor the FIND Act.”
Due to the lack of success at the federal level, antigun groups have been pushing companies to stop doing business with the gun industry. The companies that have bent a knee to these antigun organization has made it hard for gun stores to get bank accounts, credit card processing, and insurance. The goal of the antigun groups is to make it impossible for firearms companies to stay in business. Also, programs like Operation Chokepoint have made it more difficult for gun stores to work with banks.
Numerous banks put in place service policies that forbid the institutions from working with the firearms industry. Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and others dumped long-term customers due to being a gun store or affiliated with the firearms industry. With little to no warning, these small mom-and-pop companies were left scrambling to find a new home for their money. Credit card processors also dropped many stores, leaving these small shops unable to accept cashless payments from their customers.
The antigun groups such as Everytown and Moms Demand Action have been pushing for Visa and Mastercard to stop letting their cards be used to buy firearms. Bills like the FIND Act not only deal with already established company policies but also makes companies think twice before implementing new antigun rules.
The FIND Act doesn’t control the companies’ policies. The bill doesn’t outright forbid these companies from doing work in the state. It just prohibits the state and local governments of Kansas from hiring these companies. Private entities are still able to work with the companies with antigun policies. This situation is not a case of the government telling a private business what they must do to operate in the state.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) strongly supports the bill.
The NSSF is the industry trade association representing gun shops, manufacturers, and distributors. The NSSF puts on the yearly industry convention (SHOT Show).
“The FIND Act legislation is priority legislation for the firearm industry,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “For too long, big banks have been unlawfully discriminating against firearm-related businesses because they are out-of-fashion with nameless and faceless boardroom executives in Wall Street ivory towers. This legislation brings the free market back to the state. The legislation doesn’t force the banks to change their “woke” antigun policies but instills that the state has the right to choose to do business with corporations that don’t discriminate and deny citizens their Second Amendment rights when they block a Constitutionally protected industry access to banking services. State legislators have the chance today to remind the woke banks that they work for the voter, not for the bank’s ATM machines.”
Gun Owners of America (GOA) also weighed in on the bill. GOA is an advocacy group focused on gun rights. The group bills itself as Washington D.C.’s only no-compromise gun lobby.
“The FIND Act would prohibit banks and lending institutions from colluding with the Kansas government to discriminate against the firearm industry,” said Tony DeGusipe, Director of State and Local Affairs.
The bill is working its way through the Kansas Senate. Readers are encouraged to contact their state senators and let their voices be heard.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
If the anti gun groups gain any foot hold they exploit it in every state in the nation. I find it disturbing that the NRA does not seek and destroy the folks funding them. Attack with your armey funded buy your members take off your expensive suites get your work clothes and get digging into the issue. I blame the NRA for not entering into the twenty first century with new leadership.
Any bank that is anti second amendment should be closed as it violates our second amendment rights and at that point they become anti American and an unconstitutional organization. Pass laws that make it a discriminatory act to deny monies to the gun industry . Play that unconstitutional discrimination card and bankrupt these banks that are anti second amendment institutions. The left plays thier race card daily , time to play our card and counter thier lies .
I would rather see a bill making large national, publicly traded companies abide by the Bill of Rights, as the government is supposed to. Wouldn’t that be easier than doing it state by state? Sure the states can pass a bill like this, as they all have their own versions of 2A. But the biggest violators are in NY & CA, so we know they won’t pass one.
Bank of America needs to change it’s name to Bank of CCP. I WILL NEVER do an business with Bank of America. If EVERYONE who owns a firearm would close their accounts and cut up their credit cards that might send a message to the psychopathic control freaks that run Bank of America. DITTO for JP Morgan Chase…tell them to STUFF IT.