U.S. Constitution News
The Daily Signal provides reporting and analysis on the U.S. Constitution, including court rulings, separation of powers, and the defense of individual rights.
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- Opinion
Does China’s President Really Deserve a 21-Gun Salute?
You have to admit it’s quite curious. I’m talking about the elaborate state visit that President Obama is hosting this week for Chinese President Xi Jinping, replete with a star-studded formal White House state dinner and a 21-gun salute on the South Lawn tomorrow. Those are honors not given to many foreign heads of state….Peter Brookes -
- Opinion
D.C. Has Lost Another Gun Rights Case
Seven years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns, D.C. has lost another gun case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia—one that involves the very same plaintiff, Dick Heller. In the latest case, Heller v. District of Columbia, a three-judge panel has thrown…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Mexico, Interested in US Gun Control, Pushes International Arms Treaty
The first annual meeting of the nations that have ratified the 2014 Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) opened on Monday, August 24 at a spa in Cancún, Mexico. The treaty’s been controversial in the U.S. from the moment negotiations on it began, and this meeting will surely stoke the suspicions of those who think the treaty’s…Ted Bromund -
- News
Seattle Approves New Tax on Guns, Ammunition
The Seattle City Council passed a new tax on guns and ammunition Monday to raise revenue for violence prevention and gun safety research. The council unanimously approved the measure, adding a $25 tax on firearms sold in the city and a 5-cent tax on each round of ammunition. The legislation also requires gun owners to…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
The War on Free Speech
One of the rights we should celebrate (and cherish) during Liberty Month is freedom of speech. Another is our ability to freely choose our representatives in local, state and federal elections. Freedom to speak on public policy issues as well as on candidates and politics is directly related to the election process. Indeed, that freedom…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Group Waging War on Meter Maids Tests Free Speech Limits
Forgetful residents of the New Hampshire city of Keene have found an ally with a group of activists who call themselves Free Keene. These self-styled “Robin Hooders” run ahead of meter officers, and slip nickels into expired meters. Free Keene members leave cards informing vehicle owners that they have been “Saved from the King’s Tariff!”…Andrew Kloster -
- News
Maine Becomes Latest State to Allow Concealed Guns Without a Permit
Maine passed a measure Wednesday permitting gun owners in the state to carry concealed handguns without a permit, becoming the sixth state in the U.S. with such a policy. Republican Gov. Paul LePage signed the bill into law, confirming a victory for gun-rights advocates who argue the permits do not prevent lawbreakers from carrying weapons….Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Enough With the Outrage Police: Free Speech Matters
Americans take justifiable pride in their right to free speech. People may be muzzled by their government in places such as Cuba and North Korea, but not here. You can say what’s on your mind without fear of prosecution. But can you do so without fear of persecution? More and more, it seems, the answer…Ed Feulner -
- News
Supreme Court Refuses to Stop Law That Restricts Gun Rights
The Supreme Court has refused to hear a major case regarding gun rights, leaving a strict San Francisco gun law intact. Gun owners in the city filed the appeal in an attempt to overturn a requirement that all handguns be “stored in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock” when they are not…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Kirsten Powers on the War Against Free Speech and Why Most on the Left Don’t Get It
I spoke with Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers this week about her new book, “The Silencing: How the Left Is Killing Free Speech.” Powers gives example after example of how those who oppose a particular political or cultural view will pull out all the stops to silence and shame their opposition. I begin by asking…Genevieve Wood -
- Opinion
DC Gets Slapped Again By a Federal Court Over Its Restrictive Gun Laws
The District of Columbia has lost the latest round in the seemingly never-ending litigation over the rules it keeps implementing to restrict Second Amendment rights. In Wrenn v. District of Columbia, federal District Court Judge Frederick Scullin issued an injunction prohibiting the District from requiring that anyone seeking a concealed carry permit demonstrate a “good…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Small Business Owner Says Bank Denied Service Because She Sells Guns
A small business owner from Central Florida alleges she was denied service by one of the largest banks in the United States strictly because she sells guns. “It’s a slap in the face,” Peggy Craig, owner of Michael’s Pawn and Gun in Fruitland Park, Fla., told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. “It affects…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Cartoon: Feeding Frenzy on Free Speech
News coverage of the Muhammad cartoon contest in Texas, where the two attackers who opened fire on the event were killed by police, has exposed a lack of understanding about the First Amendment among many in the mainstream media. It was not created to protect speech that doesn't offend anyone. It was created to protect…Glenn Foden -
- News
Major Bank Won’t Do Business With a Florida Gun and Pawn Shop. Is Choke Point to Blame?
Earlier this month, a small gun and pawn shop owner in Florida appeared to have found himself in the middle of an Operation Choke Point controversy when SunTrust Bank, out of the blue, closed his bank account. Some, including Steve Champion, the owner of American Gun & Pawn in Brooksville, Fla., were quick to blame…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Access, Denied: More Gun Sellers Blocked From Financial Sector
After serving multiple deployments overseas with the U.S. Army Special Forces, Josh Burns began building his own rifles at home. In Sept. 2013, he and his wife Felicia, who also served in the military, decided they would make a business out of selling guns. “This is his hobby that [Josh] masks as a business so…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
High-Profile Dispute Between Farm, Green Group Yields Property Rights Bill
After clashing with a non-profit land trust over the terms and conditions of a conservation easement that sits on her property, Martha Boneta saw no alternative to litigation. That’s because the Piedmont Environmental Council, which serves as a co-holder of the easement, had overstepped its authority to the point where it was trespassing across her…Kevin Mooney -
- News
Gun Shop Owner Says This State’s Restrictive Law ‘Killed Us in Terms of Business’
A gun and ammo shop in New York blames the state’s strict regulations on firearms for bringing an end to its business. “The SAFE Act killed us in terms of business,” Kordell Jackson, owner of Jackson Guns and Ammo Shop in Henrietta, N.Y., told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “It was very difficult with sales and regulations…Ben Smith -
- Opinion
Firearms Industry Concerned About What Obama Will Do in Next Two Years
The SHOT Show — Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show — is the world’s largest gun show. Held annually in Las Vegas, it’s intended for those in the trade, not the general public. Walking its almost 16 miles of booths is a near-marathon feat of endurance, and every mile exhibits more firepower than all the…Ted Bromund -
- News
How Gun Owners Reacted to a Lawmaker’s Gun Control Pitch
MONTPELIER, Vt.—Speaking at a large pro-gun rally at the Vermont statehouse this week, state Sen. John Campbell told law-abiding Vermonters they would need to undergo criminal background checks before buying guns. “The major issue in this bill people are concerned with is expanding the background checks to all sales,” Campbell said. “There are people—probably 99.9…Bruce Parker -
- Opinion
What the Firearms Industry Thinks About the UN Arms Trade Treaty Signed By Obama Administration
LAS VEGAS—Supposedly, the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which took effect Christmas Eve, is no big deal. But people who work in the business of manufacturing, importing and exporting firearms are concerned about the treaty and what it means for them and their industry. I talked to several last week at the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor…Ted Bromund