This week, we have one of the most successful Second Amendment litigators on the show to talk about the surprising outcome of his latest case.
Hawaii legalized the possession and open carry of most bladed weapons a few days ago. That came as a bit of a shock to Second Amendment activists in the state, including our guest Alan Beck. While he had already won a ruling against the state’s butterfly knife ban and he expected lawmakers might try to undercut that case, nobody really expected a blanket reversal on how Hawaii treats bladed weapons.
Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean his case is over. Beck argued it’s not really possible to open carry butterfly knives. So, that leaves a potential path forward in the suit that Beck plans to pursue.
Still, Beck said the repeal of the bladed weapons bans represents real progress. He’s more optimistic than ever that Hawaiians will eventually have gun laws that are closer to the rest of the nation. However, he said it would take a lot more effort to get there.
You can listen to the show on your favorite podcasting app or by clicking here. Video of the episode is available on our YouTube channel. An auto-generated transcript is available here. Reload Members get access on Sunday, as always. Everyone else can listen on Monday.
On the news update, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss my upcoming trip to Dallas to cover the 2024 NRA Annual Meeting and what signs to look for to determine if the group will make substantive reforms or stay its current course. Plus, we discuss the latest in the Dexter Taylor case after a Brooklyn judge sentenced the engineer to 10 years in prison for his hobby of self-manufacturing firearms. We also cover a new ruling out of the 9th Circuit upholding California’s sharing of gun owners’ personal data with university researchers. And we have a bonus member segment, too! Audio is here. Video is here.
2 Responses
Both podcasts were awesome, particularly the member segment on firearm laws in Alaska. The only discouraging thing is about the NRA, which all of us ant to see change as an organization determined to protect our rights. Thank you for great reporting, Stephen.
That’s awesome to hear! I’m glad we’re producing the kind of stories and podcasts that you’re getting good value out of. That’s always my goal. It’s not always easy to get there. So, I’m always glad to hear when we’ve done well.