States Push to Expanded Gun Rights, Obama Silent

When United States President Barack Obama swore to office last January 20, 2009, gun control advocates can only rejoice at the prospect of having a staunch supporter to their cause.

Now, they are giving the 1-year incumbent president every failing grade possible.

Gun control advocates say that Mr. Obama has failed to deliver the gun control promises he made during his presidency campaign. Nowhere was the campaign promise that he made to close an exploit that allows dealers sell firearms without federal background checks or criminal background checks. He has been largely nonexistent while several gun right promoters made strong pushes to expanded gun rights.

Gun right promoters have been generally successful in passing measures that have been rejected in the past. Last week in Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill that would allow people to carry firearms in establishments that serve alcohol. The House of Delegates also abolished the 17-year-old law that prohibits anyone from buying more than one handgun in a month.

Last month, Indiana passed a bill that will thwart private businesses from checking employees if they are keeping firearms in their vehicles on company property.

Last year, Montana and Tennessee passed bills that will exempt their states from the federal laws regarding firearms and ammunition that are manufactured, sold and used in-state.

Arizona and Wyoming are considering the measures that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

Obama also signed bills that will allow firearms in national parks and on Amtrak trains.

There are too many setbacks to gun control measures, that's how the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun control group, interpreted the whole ordeal. Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign said, "We expected a very different picture at this stage".

Last month, the Brady Campaign issued the President a First Year Report Card, which shows Obama failing in every of the group's indicators: Brady Background Checks and Gun Background Check, Gun Show Loophole, Gun Trafficking, Guns in Public, Assault Weapon Ban, Standing Up to the Gun Lobby and Leadership.

Controversial Gun Background Check Bill Passed by Legislature

The past years had been witness to several attempts by both gun control advocates and their second amendment counterparts. Now a new bill has been passed by Utah state legislature that has caused much controversy. The proprietor and sponsor of the controversial gun bill, Senator Margaret Dayton, claims that the purpose of the Bill is to limit the federal government's control over the states and its citizen's right.

The bill proposes that all firearms stored, manufactured or constructed in the state should be exempt from any federal regulations. This means that dealers will not be required to acquire licenses for firearms bought and made within the state, this also may mean that buyers will no longer go through background checks using the FBI Instant Criminal Background Check System, allowing anyone; include convicted felons to freely purchase firearms.

The bill was passed and won by a vote of 56 for it and 17 against it. Representative Stephen Sandstorm, one of the representatives who voted for the bill, expressed his support and said that the focus of the bill is to protect the state's rights and to keep the power of the federal government in check. According to Representative Sandstorm, there are also 20 other states that are currently also preparing bills that are similar in purpose.

There is only one more obstacle for the bill to become a law, first it must be approved by the office of Utah Governor Gary Herbert, and there has yet to be an announcement of a decision from Governor Herbert's office, and even with recent interview the Governor has yet to reveal his stance towards the bill.