Alabama Does Gun Manufacturers’ Bidding By Seeking To Nullify Federal Gun Laws

The Alabama legislature is considering an unconstitutional bill that would make it a felony for federal law officers to enforce any bans on semi-automatic weapons or high-capacity magazines in the state — a measure that, its author insists, would be good for the state’s economy, or at least its gun manufacturers.

State Sen. Shadrack McGill’s (R) legislation would specifically exempt guns that were manufactured, sold, and owned within Alabama’s borders from federal laws. It would also classify anyone who did try to enforce federal laws as a Class C Felon. McGill thinks that such a law amounts to state stimulus, since creates an impetus for manufacturers to reap profit in the state:

In a time of strapped budgets, adding resource officers may be difficult for local systems. McGill said that’s why his colleagues have worked to improve the economy, and he added that there is no desire to raise taxes.[...]

McGill said the gun bill could be a way to improve Alabama’s economy, as the law would only pertain to guns made and kept inside the state.

“I’m chairman of the Small Business Committee, and one aspect of this is any state that passes similar legislation to this, it will be an attraction to manufacturing — good for the economy,” he said.

The U.S. Constitution dictates that federal law “shall be the supreme law of the land.” But the irony is apparently lost on McGill and other state legislators that in their effort to protect their constitutional right to own a firearm, they are trying to supersede the constitutional requirement that states follow federal laws.