September 27, 2019
Washington, DC
Conservatives oppose efforts to pass red flag laws at the state or federal level. These laws reverse the burden of proof, assuming people are guilty and must be proven innocent. They trample on the constitutional rights of Americans. And they do nothing to prevent mass shootings.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have passed forms of red flag laws, which allow police, family members, neighbors, romantic partners, teachers, or therapists who fear that a gun owner has become dangerous to file a seizure warrant for that person’s weapons with a judge.
In many states, the gun owner is not present in the hearing to defend himself in front a judge, who determines if that person’s firearms should be confiscated.
Federal law already prohibits individuals from owning firearms if they have been convicted of a felony, a domestic-violence misdemeanor, have an active restraining order against them, or have been committed to a mental health institution. All 50 states also have civil commitment laws on the books, which allow friends and family to petition a court of emergency hospitalization or detention, subject to a hearing where the named individual is present entitled to legal counsel.
Red flag laws don’t reduce shootings. Two Yale-trained researchers reviewed 22 unique mental health reporting laws around the country, and found “no correlation with homicide rates.”
John Lott and Carlisle Moody found similar results in a fixed regression model for all 50 states, showing “red flag laws had no significant effect on murder, suicide, the number of people killed in mass public shootings, robbery, aggravated assault, or burglary.”
Worse, data from Connecticut and Indiana—states with the two oldest red flag laws in the country—show that nearly a third of confiscation orders are issued in error, against innocent people.
It would be a mistake to enact red flag laws, or encourage states to do so, when these laws clearly do not address the problem of mass shootings, but instead put the enumerated Second Amendment rights of Americans at risk.
Conservatives stand strongly opposed to the passage of red flag laws at the state or federal level.
| Alfred S. Regnery Chairman, Conservative Action Project Chairman, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund |
The Honorable Jim DeMint Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute Member, US Senate (SC 2005-2013) |
| Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project Executive Director, Conservative Partnership Institute |
Rachel Bovard Senior Director of Policy Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) |
| Noah Wall Vice President of Advocacy FreedomWorks |
Mary Vought Executive Director Senate Conservatives Fund |
| Myron Ebell Director, Center for Energy and Environment Competitive Enterprise Institute |
The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell President The Leadership Institute |
| Cleta Mitchell, Esq. Partner Foley & Lardner LLP |
The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Chief Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1987-1988) |
| The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop White House Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985) |
Lisa B. Nelson |
| Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq. Chairman, CNP Action, Inc. President and CEO, First Liberty Institute |
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. |
| Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
| Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union (ACU) |
Daniel Schneider Executive Director American Conservative Union (ACU) |
| The Honorable Donald Paul Hodel U.S. Secretary of Energy (1982-1985) U.S. Secretary of Interior (1985-1989) |
Floyd Brown Chairman Western Center for Journalism |
| Ron Robinson President Young America’s Foundation |
The Honorable Mike Hill Representative Florida State House |
| The Honorable James C. Miller III Budget Director for President Reagan |
Tim Macy Chairman Gun Owners of America |
| The Honorable Tom DeLay Former Majority Leader U.S. House of Representatives |
The Honorable Belden Bell Cochair-Legacy Society The Heritage Foundation |
| Joseph Gregory CEO Gregory Management Co. |
Anne Schlafly Cori Chairman Eagle Forum |
| The Honorable Tim Huelskamp, Ph.D Former Member of Congress 1st District of Kansas |
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer President American Values |
| Ambassador Henry F. Cooper President Reagan’s Chief Defense and Space Negotiator Former SDI Director |
Ralph A. Rebandt II Pastor Oakland Hills Community Church |
| Donna Hearne CEO Constitutional Coalition |
The Honorable George K. Rasley Jr. Managing Editor ConservativeHQ.com |
| Melissa Ortiz Admin/Blogger DCBelleonWheels.com |
Jenna Ellis Rives Constitutional Law Attorney Trump 2020 Advisory Board |
| J. Christian Adams President Public Interest Legal Foundation |
Gabriel Joseph Digital Media / Social Consultant The FreeEats Network |
| Richard Manning President Americans for Limited Government |
James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
| Willes K. Lee President National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
| Craig Shirley Reagan Biographer |
Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation |
| Sean Noble President American Encore |
William W. Pascoe, III Board Member Tea Party Patriots Action |
| Mark Fitzgibbons President of Corporate Affairs American Target Advertising |
Rebecca Hagelin Columnist The Washington Times |
| Nancy Schulze Founder RCW Speakers |
Eaton Hopkins President Liberty Surgical |
| Amapola Hansberger President Legal Immigrants for America |
Terry Schilling Executive Director American Principles Project |
| Peter J. Thomas Chairman The Conservative Caucus |
Benjamin R. Case CEO Focused On Fundraising, Inc. |
| Reverend Gregory Quinlan President The Center for Garden State Families |
Robert K. Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
| Dr. Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. Founder and CEO CorsiNation.com |
Michelle Easton President Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women |
| John F. Tate President America’s Liberty PAC |
Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
| Seton Motley President Less Government |
Melvin Adams Past President RENEWANATION |
| S. Fran Lewis President Lewis Jewelers |
Charlie Copeland President Intercollegiate Studies Institute |
| Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
Allen Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston |
| Roxanne Phillips Member, Executive Committee Council for National Policy |
Mario Navarro da Costa Director, Washington Bureau Tradition, Family, Property |
| C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
Lee Beaman CEO Beaman Automotive |
| Joan Holt Lindsey President Lindsey Communications |
Robert D. Thompson Former Administrator The Weyrich Lunch (1999-2016) |
| George Landrith President Frontiers of Freedom |
Norm Singleton President Campaign for Liberty |
| Dr. John C. Eastman Henry Salvatori Professor of Law & Community Service, Chapman University Fowler School of Law Senior Fellow, The Claremont Institute |
Rod D. Martin Founder & CEO The Martin Organization, Inc. |
| Sherri R. Martin Executive Vice President The Martin Organization, Inc. |
Haley E. Martin President The Martin Foundation |
| Nicholas Stehle Campaign for the American Future |
The Honorable Jerry Melvin Former Dean Florida House of Representatives |
| Shawn A. Mitchell Former Chaplain National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
Rebekah Gantner Executive Director Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund |
| Ed Martin President Phyllis Schlafly Eagles |
Jeremy Cerone CEO EliteSafe Inc. |
| Lori Roman President American Civil Rights Union Action |
Caroline C. Lewis Owner Percipio Communications |
All organizations listed for IDENTIFICATION purposes only.
