HB61 Amendment 2 removes a segment of the bill that allows government to shut down gun stores if they equally shut down every other store at the same time. The bills intent is to restrict the ability of state or municipal authorities to regulate firearms and other weapons during declared disaster emergencies, and this amendment ensures that government has no authority at all to shut down businesses.
The Alaska State House of Representatives rejected HB61 Amendment 2 by a vote of 3 to 36. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because this amendment removes the draconian language that would allow the government to shut down businesses just like they did during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether there is a state of emergency or not, our God-given rights as U.S. citizens should not be infringed upon. The protections listed in this legislation are all covered under the Bill of Rights in the Constitution.