Nevada Sees Senate Battle Over Guns
OutdoorHub Staff 10.20.16
Nevada was nicknamed the Battle Born State due to achieving statehood during the Civil War. While this is historically interesting, looking to the future leads us to a new battle: As U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid vacates his seat, the candidate taking his place will have the chance to make some big changes in Nevada upon anti-gun Reid’s departure.
Stepping up to represent the state from the Republican Party is Dr. Joe Heck. Having spent much of his life in public service, Heck is no stranger to those who carry firearms both personally and professionally. He has spent time doing search and rescue, and served in the Army Reserve in addition to volunteer firefighting. On top of this, he also put in time as an ambulance attendant and physician, treating and caring for the very people he is hoping to represent. All of this combined is just part of what has earned him an “A” rating from the NRA.
Since 2011, Dr. Joe Heck has served Nevada’s 3rd U.S. Congressional District, and during this time he has been a supporter of the Second Amendment. Some of the pro-gun actions he took during this time include embracing the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, voting for Attorney General Eric Holder to be penalized for the Fast and Furious gun running fiasco, and co-sponsoring a bill to uphold the gun rights of those receiving Social Security benefits. Additionally, he openly opposed the U.N. Gun Ban treaty and voted for the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreation Enhancement Bill.
When asked for a comment regarding his thoughts and feelings about the Second Amendment, Dr. Joe Heck released the following statement to OutdoorHub:
“The Second Amendment protects our right as citizens, not subjects, to possess firearms for defense of life, liberty and property. As a gun owner and outdoor enthusiast with a CCW permit, I exercise this Constitutionally-guaranteed right. If elected to replace Harry Reid as Nevada’s next U.S. Senator, I will stand with my fellow responsible, law-abiding gun owners, including sportsmen and women, to restore checks and balances, and support Supreme Court justices who will interpret the Constitution as it was written.”
Also on the ticket this November is Democrat and former Attorney General for Nevada Catherine Cortez Masto, who has openly voiced approval of President Obama’s gun control measures. In the same vein, she has shown a clear aversion to improvements in campus carry, despite billing herself as an advocate for women and children, as well as a proponent of victim’s rights. Cortez Masto voted against Assembly Bill 148, despite testimony from a CCW holder who was raped on the University of Nevada, Reno, campus while unarmed. The perpetrator then went on to rape twice more and murdered one of his victims. Yet instead of bringing about change that would allow self-defense, Cortez Masto chose a different route. She dubbed the bill “overly broad” and called it “a solution in search of a problem,” voting to uphold an antiquated law allowing firearms carry only if approved by the college president.
Also noteworthy is that Catherine Cortez Masto has been handpicked as a like-minded successor by and to Harry Reid. The two have in common a great opposition to firearms freedoms, and fall into the category of foes of the NRA. Although Cortez Masto herself does claim to own a firearm, she still aspires to make changes to current gun law. One of these potential changes stems from the support of “universal” background checks and prohibiting gun ownership to those who have found themselves on government lists.
On her website, Cortez Masto says, “My husband is a retired Secret Service Agent. We are both gun owners. But imagine the lunacy of letting those listed on the terrorist no-fly list to be able to buy guns like the rest of us. That makes no sense. It’s time we focus on our common good, as Democrats and Republicans, to protect our country.”
When Nevada voters take to the polls in the coming weeks, it will be vital that they take into consideration the future of gun owners. Not only do these two candidates seem to vary widely on Second Amendment issues, but you can expect the actions of one or the other in the future to significantly impact the firearms community. A battle lies ahead, indeed.
