Secure Firearms Act

bikerbill · May 9, 2013, 04:26 PM

Haven't seen any discussion of Texas House member John Carter's Secure Firearms Act.

As I understand it, it would require that all firearms not in use be stored so they are inaccessable to any unauthorized user. The kicker, for me, is that you can deduct $1,200 from your income tax to help pay for whatever you buy to secure your guns, and the bill states that the IRS can't store your claim to produce a listing of firearms owners. Since my trust level in government promises is pretty low, I'm a bit skeptical about that last part, but I'd love to get a new safe ...

Any thoughts? Doesn't seem to violate the 2A and might be something I could support ...

Evan Thomas · May 9, 2013, 04:32 PM

Can you give us a link to the bill? I'm curious about how it defines "not in use."

**Spats McGee** · May 9, 2013, 04:38 PM

And how it defines "storage."

bikerbill · May 9, 2013, 04:44 PM

Here's a link to Carter's web site and his explanation of the measure ... if it doesn't work directly, just cut and paste or go to his site as listed below ...

http://carter.house.gov/press-releas...arter-cuellar/

The NRA and the NSSF are backing the bill.

carguychris · May 9, 2013, 04:54 PM

Quote:

...the bill states that the IRS can't store your claim to produce a listing of firearms owners.

Although this sounds grand, it will probably render the bill a complete non-starter because it would seemingly be impossible to back-check returns for fraudulent gun storage deductions.

**Spats McGee** · May 9, 2013, 05:02 PM

As much as I enjoy a good press release, I'll be much more interested in what the bill does than what its sponsor says it does. This looks like it could be HR 1883, but the text is not yet available.

dakota.potts · May 9, 2013, 08:26 PM

Isn't this almost exactly the decision that the Heller decision explicitly struck down?

hermannr · May 9, 2013, 08:48 PM

Think about it: You can deduct it from your income tax...that assumes you have tax to pay.

Beside having lost in court already in San Fran, it is basically a Jim Crow law. It would make every poor person that owns a firearm, but cannot afford a gun safe, a criminal.

Evan Thomas · May 9, 2013, 09:14 PM

That's a bit of an exaggeration. From the description of the bill on Rep. Carter's website, it's meant to encourage the purchase of gun safes and other locking devices; it doesn't make possessing or using them mandatory.

That said, you're right that the up-to-$1200 tax deduction is yet another subsidy for the relatively well-to-do.

And as critics of the bill point out, it's a pretty small step from encouraging something to requiring it.

BumbleBug · May 9, 2013, 10:33 PM

While it could be interpreted as pro-gun it is just more BS to confuse things. Do without the deduction & the addition of more useless laws!

JIMHO...

...bug

May 9, 2013, 04:26 PM	#1
bikerbill Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2007 Location: Lago Vista TX Posts: 2,425	Secure Firearms Act Haven't seen any discussion of Texas House member John Carter's Secure Firearms Act. As I understand it, it would require that all firearms not in use be stored so they are inaccessable to any unauthorized user. The kicker, for me, is that you can deduct $1,200 from your income tax to help pay for whatever you buy to secure your guns, and the bill states that the IRS can't store your claim to produce a listing of firearms owners. Since my trust level in government promises is pretty low, I'm a bit skeptical about that last part, but I'd love to get a new safe ... Any thoughts? Doesn't seem to violate the 2A and might be something I could support ... __________________ "The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants." Albert Camus

May 9, 2013, 04:32 PM	#2
Evan Thomas Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 5,631	Can you give us a link to the bill? I'm curious about how it defines "not in use." __________________ Never let anything mechanical know you're in a hurry.

May 9, 2013, 04:38 PM	#3
Spats McGee Staff Join Date: July 28, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 8,821	And how it defines "storage." __________________ I'm a lawyer, but I'm not your lawyer. If you need some honest-to-goodness legal advice, go buy some.

May 9, 2013, 04:44 PM	#4
bikerbill Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2007 Location: Lago Vista TX Posts: 2,425	Here's a link to Carter's web site and his explanation of the measure ... if it doesn't work directly, just cut and paste or go to his site as listed below ... http://carter.house.gov/press-releas...arter-cuellar/ The NRA and the NSSF are backing the bill. __________________ "The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants." Albert Camus

May 9, 2013, 05:02 PM	#6
Spats McGee Staff Join Date: July 28, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 8,821	As much as I enjoy a good press release, I'll be much more interested in what the bill does than what its sponsor says it does. This looks like it could be HR 1883, but the text is not yet available. __________________ I'm a lawyer, but I'm not your lawyer. If you need some honest-to-goodness legal advice, go buy some.

May 9, 2013, 08:26 PM	#7
dakota.potts Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Location: Keystone Heights, Florida Posts: 3,084	Isn't this almost exactly the decision that the Heller decision explicitly struck down?

May 9, 2013, 08:48 PM	#8
hermannr Senior Member Join Date: March 24, 2011 Posts: 730	Think about it: You can deduct it from your income tax...that assumes you have tax to pay. Beside having lost in court already in San Fran, it is basically a Jim Crow law. It would make every poor person that owns a firearm, but cannot afford a gun safe, a criminal.

May 9, 2013, 09:14 PM	#9
Evan Thomas Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 5,631	That's a bit of an exaggeration. From the description of the bill on Rep. Carter's website, it's meant to encourage the purchase of gun safes and other locking devices; it doesn't make possessing or using them mandatory. That said, you're right that the up-to-$1200 tax deduction is yet another subsidy for the relatively well-to-do. And as critics of the bill point out, it's a pretty small step from encouraging something to requiring it. __________________ Never let anything mechanical know you're in a hurry.

May 9, 2013, 10:33 PM	#10
BumbleBug Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2013 Location: Near Heart of Texas Posts: 870	While it could be interpreted as pro-gun it is just more BS to confuse things. Do without the deduction & the addition of more useless laws! JIMHO... ...bug

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