AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu
It’s been nearly a year since the first COVID lockdowns were imposed on “non-essential businesses” across the country, and some lawmakers in Arizona want to ensure that if those lockdowns ever return people will still have access to firearms and ammunition. The state Senate has approved a bill that would designate gun shops as essential businesses in any future state of emergency.
We saw several states last year declare that gun shops must close, which prompted lawsuits in several states. Masschusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, for instance, tried to shutter gun stores, but a federal judge squashed his order, ruling that our Second Amendment rights don’t disappear when a pandemic breaks out.