In The News: March 2025

Most Dangerous Cities in Virginia - 10 Places With Alarming Crime Rates in 2024, Freedom for All Americans, August 14, 2024. Virginia, a state renowned for its historicy and natural beauty, is also home to diverse urban landscapes that, unfortunately, grapple with varying degrees of crime. Certain cities within the state have recorded notably high crime rates, prompting concerns about safety and security.

New Bill Could Hold Gunowners Liable for Shootings Committed With Their Lost or Stolen Weapons, WCNC Charlotte, March 7, 2025. Three North Carolina lawmakers introduced legislation that would hold gunowners accountable for shooting-related crimes committed that were lost by or stolen from them. According to filings by the North Carolina State Senate, NC Senators Val Applewhite (D-Cumberland), Woodson Bradley (D-Mecklenburg) and Caleb Theodros (D-Mecklenburg) introduced S.B. 161, which, if passed, would be known as the Jenesis Firearm Accountability Act.

Virginia Gun Bill Would Require Guns Be Locked Away in Unattended Cars, 3WKTR-Hampton Roads, February 12, 2025. Virginia lawmakers are debating legislation aimed at keeping firearms out of children's hands as well as preventing them from being stolen out of attended vehicles, but it's receiving pushback from pro-gun rights groups.

The Rise of Smart Guns: World's First Biometric Firearm Hits the Market, The Brighter Side, March 8, 2025. A Colorado-based startup is pushing the boundaries of firearm safety with the launch of America’s first widely available biometric smart gun. Designed to fire only when held by an authorized user, the Biofire Smart Gun employs fingerprint and facial recognition technology to prevent misuse, theft, and accidental shootings. With production now underway, the company faces the challenge of balancing gun-rights concerns with the promise of safer firearm ownership.

Republican U.S. Senate/House Members Urge End to Biden Administration Firearm Export Rule, Sierra Sun Times, March 9, 2025. Last Friday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) issued a letter with 86 colleagues in the Senate and House requesting that the Secretary of Commerce reverse a rule restricting firearm exports for law-abiding American manufacturers.

Schools Await Gun Safety Lesson Guidance, The Pine Bluff Commerical, March 9, 2025. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday signed House Bill 1117 into law as Act 229. The act, sponsored by Rep. R. Scott Richardson, R-Bentonville, requires the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission to determine the earliest appropriate grade level for students to learn about firearm safety.

What the Data Says About Gun Deaths in the U.S., Pew Research Center, March 5, 2025. Nearly 47,000 people died of gun-related injuries in the United States in 2023, according to the latest available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the number of gun deaths in the U.S. fell for the second consecutive year, it remained among the highest annual totals on record.

Lawsuit Challenges Gun Restriction on Some Mental Health Patients, Times Union, March 4, 2025. An Ulster County woman filed a lawsuit in federal court last week that challenges New York’s interpretation of a law that bans people who may have a mental health disorder from possessing a gun.

Which States Allow Constitutional Carry?, United States Concealed Carry Association, updated February 4, 2025. In 2022, four states — Alabama, Ohio, Indiana and Georgia — passed constitutional carry or permitless carry laws, making them the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th states to do so. Subsequently, in April 2023, Florida and Nebraska joined them, becoming the 26th and 27th constitutional carry states.

Tim Heaphy Discusses Red Flag Laws, Gun Rights, and Public Safety Measures, CVill Right Now, March 7, 2025. Legal analyst Tim Heaphy discussed Virginia’s red flag laws on WINA Morning News following the recent shooting at the Crozet Harris Teeter. “The reason we have these red flag laws is that when people who do have a documented mental health history act in a way that causes danger, they can at least temporarily have their gun rights restricted,” Heaphy explained.