Senate Passes Resolution (SJR 3) Supporting NPS Regulation
Allowing Park Users to Carry Concealed Weapons

JUNEAU – The Alaska State Senate today unanimously passed a resolution (SJR 3) commending the National Park Service and former President George Bush for adopting a regulation allowing park users who have state-issued concealed carry permits to carry a concealed firearm in national parks. The resolution also urges the present administration of Barack Obama to continue the rule and improve on it by allowing weapons to be carried openly.

After it took effect on January 9, the rule was challenged by environmental and gun control groups, resulting in a preliminary injunction stopping its implementation.

“Our expression of support for this rule through SJR 3 becomes ever more important and pertinent with the decision of the federal court to issue a preliminary injunction,” said Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, the prime sponsor of SJR 3. “We want the Obama administration to fight to defend the rule, which could mean the difference between life and death to a park user in extremely remote and wild areas of Alaska.”

Therriault noted that current federal park rules allow a handgun to be taken into a park, but it must be disassembled, unloaded, and kept where it is not readily accessible to the user. “The new rule is based on the logic that if a hiker is already allowed to carry a concealed weapon on most public land, there is no reason to deny them the same level of personal protection in federal parks. Carrying around an unassembled, unloaded gun in the Denali backcountry is not going to be of much use if you are suddenly charged by a bear,” Therriault said.

The groups that challenged the rule in federal court argued that the government had not gone through the process of generating an environmental analysis. The federal government defended the rule by pointing out that it did not authorize any environmental impacts, so there was no need for an environmental analysis.

SJR 3 will next go to the State House of Representatives for its consideration. After passage by the House, the resolution will be sent to President Obama, the leaders of Congress, and Alaska’s delegation in Congress. # # #

Dyson Resolution Calls on Congress to
Not Renew “Assault Weapons” Ban

JUNEAU – Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, has introduced legislation, SJR 15, calling on Congress to not reinstate the 1994 federal ban on “assault weapons,” which expired in 2004. The earlier ban prohibited the sale of certain types of semi-automatic rifles and clips that held more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

“The 1994 ban on so-called ‘assault weapons’ really had no effect on reducing crime, but made it impossible for law-abiding gun enthusiasts and other average citizens to buy the guns they wanted,” Dyson said. “In fact, contrary to what gun control groups predicted when the ban expired in 2004, government statistics show that the murder rate by guns has dropped to a 43-year low.

“The type of firearms and clips banned by the 1994 law were the most popular for target shooting, home protection, competition training, and are helpful to some handicapped shooters,” Dyson said. “The current federal definition of an ‘assault weapon’ is one that is capable of fully automatic fire, or in other words, a machine gun. Extending that definition to semi-automatic rifles, based on cosmetic features, is nonsensical. It is unfair to the millions of Americans who enjoy the lawful use of those weapons.”

Dyson also noted that the Supreme Court of the United States, in its decision last year in District of Columbia v. Heller, ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms primarily for defensive purposes. “This would be a step backwards – a step that tramples on our Second Amendment rights,” Dyson said.

SJR 15 was referred to the Senate State Affairs and Judiciary committees.

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