With Election Day 2018 behind us I’ve been asked several times about what the results mean. This is not an easy question to answer when you consider the vast difference in the national versus local results and their implied ramifications.
Nationally, the Democrats gained control of the United States House of Representatives. They gained at least 23 seats and potentially more with a few races yet to be called. This has a few likely outcomes. Gun legislation will, in all likelihood, be passed in the lower body. Rest assured every time there is shooting a Democrat will be stepping over the dead to call for gun control legislation in the House. We should expect proposed legislation to include a renewed “modern sporting rifle” bans, magazine limits, universal background checks, liability insurance requirements for gun owners and a reversal of the ban on the use of public funds to study “gun violence”.
Thankfully, the blue wave wasn’t much of one, and it broke up on the red wall that is the United States Senate. The GOP increased the majority to a potential 54-46, given a win in Florida by former governor Rick Scott who is in a recount. The Kavanaugh confirmation had an affect on red state Democrat Senators. 3 of the 4 red state Democrat’s voted against Kavanaugh, all 3 were unseated by Republicans. The only one to keep their seat was the only one to vote for Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
What does that mean for gun owners? Any legislation passed by the House must also be passed by the Senate. With a solid Republican majority in the Senate that won’t happen. Also, Republicans control the Executive branch. President Trump would likely veto any such legislation if it were to pass both houses. With a solid majority in the upper house comes the ability to keep appointing federal judges and possibly one or two more Supreme Court Justices. With Justice Ginsburg and Justice Breyer in their 80’s the likely hood of having to replace at least one of them is high. The result of this would be to preserve the Second Amendment for at least another generation.
Nationally, the 2018 mid-term elections did not do much for the ant-gun crowd.
The problem lies right here in the State of Connecticut . The 2018 midterm elections were a disaster for gun owners and second amendment supporters in the “Constitution State”. The Democrats already held a solid majority in the Connecticut House, which increased on Tuesday to a 92-59 majority. The Democrats also increased their hold on the Connecticut Senate. In what was a 18-18 advantage for the Democrats (an actual 19-18 advantage with the tie breaking vote going to the Democrat Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman) to a potential 24-12 majority.
This opens the door for all sorts of issues for Connecticut Second Amendment supporters. We should be prepared to see new gun control legislation as soon as this winter when the new legislative session begins on January 9, 2019. Things such as raising the price to obtain the permit, requiring liability insurance for gun owners, an “approved” gun list or an out right ban on some firearms types.
Nationally, the second amendment is protected from further infringements by the left by Republican control of the Senate and with a Republican President. At a state and local level the second amendment could be under fire from the left as a result the Connecticut statewide elections. Frankly, the gun crowd got their ass kicked on Tuesday November 6th.
Bobby