It's one thing to be a lawmaker submitting a somewhat nonsensical bill to the North Dakota Legislature.

It's a whole 'nother thing when the North Dakota House of Representatives pass it and move it forward.  I mean that's a whole room full of adults.

It's House Bill 1272 and it would make it legal to manufacture guns and gun parts in North Dakota free from federal regulation as long as they stay in the state.  Let that sink in...how do we keep them in state?  Think I'm kidding?  Here's part of the bill.

A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 62.1-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to manufactured firearms, accessories, and ammunition. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA: SECTION 1. A new section to chapter 62.1-01 of the North Dakota Century Code is created and enacted as follows: Firearms - Manufacture - Prohibition. 1. A personal firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition manufactured commercially or privately in the state and which remains within the state is not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration as those items are not subject to regulations related to interstate commerce. This section applies to a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition manufactured in the state from basic materials and which can be manufactured without the inclusion of any significant parts imported from another state.

So we'd avoid any regulation or registration because these guns manufactured in the state would obviously stay in the state.  So clearly not subject to any oversight regarding interstate commerce.

Other than just being defiant and chippy, What's the motivation for this bill introduced by Representatives Simons, Becker, Christensen, Ertelt, Jones, Kading, Magrum, Paulson and M. Ruby?

Gotta be "bump stocks".  Let's turn to Wikipedia for a summary-

Bump stocks or bump fire stocks are gun stocks that can be used to assist in bump firing. Bump firing is the act of using the recoil of a semi-automatic firearm to fire ammunition cartridges in rapid succession, but with a loss of accuracy.

Bump stocks were outlawed on a federal level in December 2018.  BUT, if this bill get's put into law we'll have 3-D printers humming away all across the state. When I first thought of gun manufacturing, I imagined it might a job creator but more than likely it would just be machines making pieces that can't leave the state.  Why has no other state attempted this?  Well, Montana did.

Another Fargo Republican, Rep. Shannon Roers Jones, rejected the bill, noting Montana's legal challenge of the interstate commerce clause was shot down after a court found in 2013 that guns made in the state could easily end up outside its borders. Roers Jones also expressed concern that there would be no way to keep North Dakota guns from leaving the state.

I'm going to let y'all discuss among yourselves.  I've probably already been too chippy myself.  Best not to get North Dakota riled up.

Senior woman putting a gun in her small handbag, self defence concept
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