- HB174: "Straw Purchases"
- HS1 for HB330 w/ HA1: Age Restrictions
- HS1 for HB302 w/ HA2, HA1 to HA2, HA3, HA4: Mental Health Restrictions
- SB163: "Assault Weapons" Ban
- HB300 w/ HA1, HA1 to HA1 + SA2, SA4: Bump Stock Ban
- HB375: High Capacity Magazine Ban
- HB376: NICS Fix
- HB366: Safe Storage
- HB343: Firearm Ban for Terror Watchlist
The Libertarian Party generally and the Libertarian Party of Delaware in particular opposes most Gun Control measures as "collective punishment" of peaceful, non-aggressive, and otherwise law abiding individuals. It creates a new category of "victimless crimes" for the possession of an item which is primarily used for self-defense, hunting, and recreational shooting.
To my mind, the legislation increasing the penalties for Straw Purchases and the legislation particularly targeted at establishing a due process for removing firearms from those deemed by a mental health professional as a danger to themselves or others are reasonable. Stiffer penalties for failing to adequately secure your firearms such that they are taken by unauthorized persons is reasonable. The legislation ensuring that the background check system is accurate is probably not particularly effective at preventing gun violence, but nor is it destructive to an individual's right to self defense.
The other legislation is exactly as it was described earlier. It is collective punishment. Bump stocks, high capacity magazines, so called "assault rifles" functionally indistinguishable from other weapons, and restrictions on adults under the age of 21 create criminals out of peaceful, responsible, non-aggressive, and otherwise law-abiding individuals and should be opposed. Criminals will not respect these laws. Everyone else will find their choices restricted and their peaceful behavior criminalized, potentially at the cost of their lives if not just at the cost of their freedom.
Please contact your legislators using the contact information linked to the right and let them know how you feel about these bills. It is too late for HB174, but all the rest of them are still in the General Assembly.