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SCS CSHJR 17(JUD): Urging the United States Congress to reject H.R. 45, the Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009.

00 SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 17(JUD) 01 Urging the United States Congress to reject H.R. 45, the Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing 02 and Record of Sale Act of 2009. 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 WHEREAS the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution enunciates a 05 citizen's right to keep and bear arms, stating that that right shall not be infringed; and 06 WHEREAS art. I, sec. 19, Constitution of the State of Alaska, provides that the right 07 of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed and further states that the individual 08 right to keep and bear arms shall not be denied or infringed; and 09 WHEREAS H.R. 45 has been introduced in the United States Congress to require 10 licensure of firearm owners and extensive recordkeeping of transactions that result in the 11 transfer of certain firearms, including handguns and semiautomatic rifles; and 12 WHEREAS H.R. 45, referred to as the Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of 13 Sale Act of 2009, would make it a federal felony to possess a firearm without a license; and 14 WHEREAS H.R. 45 would also make it a federal felony to transfer a firearm to 15 another person who is not licensed; and 16 WHEREAS H.R. 45 directs the Attorney General of the United States to establish and

01 maintain a federal system documenting the sale and transfer of firearms; and 02 WHEREAS H.R. 45 would make it a federal misdemeanor to fail to report the loss or 03 theft of a firearm to the attorney general within 72 hours; and 04 WHEREAS, under H.R. 45, a firearm owner could be charged with a federal felony 05 based on the actions of a juvenile who might gain access to the firearm; and 06 WHEREAS H.R. 45 directs the attorney general to establish and maintain a firearm 07 injury information clearinghouse, to conduct studies of firearm-related deaths and injuries, 08 and to collect and maintain production and sales data from licensed firearm manufactures; and 09 WHEREAS the provisions of H.R. 45 cumulatively constitute a gun registration 10 system and an assault on the Second Amendment rights of United States citizens; and 11 WHEREAS the private ownership of firearms has always been a key component of 12 our national defense and constitutes a constructive notice to our enemies that Americans are a 13 free people and a people free to defend themselves; and 14 WHEREAS H.R. 45 would diminish this traditional component of our national 15 defense; and 16 WHEREAS there are other methods of addressing the problem of gun violence and 17 gun-related deaths, such as increased education on the proper handling and use of firearms, 18 that would be more effective and less intrusive into the private lives of American citizens and 19 would not diminish a constitutionally guaranteed right; 20 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature opposes the Blair Holt's 21 Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, urges the United States Congress to reject 22 H.R. 45, and further urges the members of the Alaska Congressional delegation to oppose and 23 defeat H.R. 45; and be it 24 FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the Alaska Congressional delegation are 25 urged to support and expand federal funding of firearm education programs. 26 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice- 27 President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Harry Reid, 28 Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader of the 29 U.S. Senate; the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the 30 Honorable John Boehner, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; and the 31 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. Senators, and the

01 Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.