Issue Position: Second Amendment Issues

Issue Position

I have been Endorsed and given an "A" rating by the NRA.

I am honored to have the endorsement of the National Rifle Association (NRA). I consider the NRA the first line of defense for our Second Amendment Rights. My husband and I are proud to be members of the NRA, Kansas Rifle Association and Ducks Unlimited members. During the 2012 session I sponsored two pieces of legislation that would further secure our second amendment rights. The Firearms Freedom Act - HB 2421 and the Correction officers Bill - HB 2422.

I have seen the NRA's Eddie Eagle program which teaches school children gun safety and it's great. Eddie Eagle teaches students how to handle guns correctly, always with an emphasis on gun safety. Young students learn that guns are not toys, guns can be dangerous and what to do if they find a gun; "Don't touch it, call an adult."

I appreciate the NRA sponsored Hunters Education provided by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for high school students. This program teaches students about hunter safety, hunting regulations and laws, and organizations like "Ducks Unlimited" which help to replenish and sustain our wildlife population. It also gives students the opportunity to practice their hunting and shooting skills with automated hunting programs. In addition to teaching hunter's safety and wildlife management these programs encourage students to become responsible citizens.

I supports Concealed Carry (CC) for law abiding citizens. According to several studies by John Lott, an expert on guns and crime and professor at University of Chicago Law School, states that allow CC have lower occurrences of violent crime. Analyzing FBI crime statistics data from 1977 to 1993, Lott found that "By adopting shall-issue [concealed carry permit] laws, states reduced murders by 8.5 percent, rapes by 5 percent, aggravated assaults by 7 percent and robbery by 3 percent." If those states that did not permit concealed handguns in 1992 had permitted them back then, Lott says, "citizens might have been spared approximately 1,570 murders, 4,177 rapes, 60,000 aggravated assaults and 12,000 robberies."

Guns in the hands of law abiding citizens is a constitutional right and a deterrent to crime. In light of the recent college shootings, there is an organized effort by college students, who are licensed to carry, to demand that they be allowed to exercise their right in order to protect themselves from violent harm. Prohibiting college students from exercising their Second Amendment right will not make college campuses safer. A "no gun" policy on campus is an invitation to those intent on doing harm.

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