Legislative Update

The North Carolina House passed HB 439, our Concealed Knife Carry bill, with a bipartisan vote of 71-37. The bill now moves to the Senate. This bill would clarify the state’s previously vague statute so that a folding knife that is not a switchblade may be carried concealed by anyone, including those under age 18. It would also allow adults who are not prohibited persons to carry concealed a “bowie [SIC] knife, … Continued... Read More

With the Washington legislature ending its session April 27th, Knife Rights scored a win against a draconian knife ban bill! SB 5098, which started life as a sweeping gun ban, soon morphed into a radical ban on possession of “any knife” on over 6.5 million acres of public land in Washington, including parks and such. In the end, the bill wasn’t passed out of the House before the session ended, but the bill looked for all intents and purposes as if it would steamroll its way to the governor. … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights has filed its Plaintiffs’ Reply Brief in our appeal of the absurd decision in our lawsuit challenging California’s ban on switchblade (automatic) knives with a blade 2-inches and greater on Second Amendment grounds. Our brief slices and dices California Attorney General Bonta’s brief, which was filled with already discredited claims and made-up rationales for the District Court’s bizarre additions to the Second Amendment’s “plain text.” Now the ball is in the infamously anti-2A United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. … Continued... Read More

In Knife Rights’ Second Amendment lawsuit against the Federal Switchblade Act we hoped that the Trump administration, through Attorney General Pam Bondi, would come through on the President’s executive order “Protecting Second Amendment Rights” and AG Bondi’s recent statement that, “the prior administration placed an undue burden on…law-abiding citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. The Department of Justice’s new 2nd Amendment Task Force will combine department-wide policy and litigation resources to advance President Trump’s pro-gun agenda and protect gun owners from overreach.” Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter asked, … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights’ first in the nation bill to prevent banks from discriminating against persons and companies involved in “the manufacture, distribution, wholesale, supply, or retail of…knives,” SB 1027, has been signed by  Governor Brad Little. The new law becomes effective on July 1st.  Knife Rights is taking the lead in protecting the knife industry from the adverse effects of anti-knife sentiment that unfortunately exists among some banks in this country. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of our good friend Senator Carl Bjerke to amend the Transparency in Financial Services Act  to include knives at Knife Rights’ … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights’ Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2025 (KOPA), H.R. 60, originally conceived and authored by Knife Rights in 2010 and introduced in 2013 as the first proactive pro-knife federal legislation in the nation’s history, has been marked up by the House Judiciary Committee in a 13-10 vote. The bill in now ready to be considered by the full House of Representatives. View the video of the hearing. Sponsored by Rep. … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights’ Vermont Switchblade Ban Repeal bill has been incorporated into the Committee on Judiciary’s “Court procedure; criminal procedure; miscellaneous amendments” bill, S 109, which has now passed the Senate. This committee bill now moves to the House for action.  We sincerely appreciate the efforts of longtime Knife Rights friend Senator Patrick Brennan who we have supported for over a decade as he has worked to repeal the state’s ban on switchblade (automatic knives) knives three inches or more in length. … Continued... Read More

North Carolina HB 439 has been filed by Knife Rights’ good friend Rep. Keith Kidwell. This bill would clarify the state’s previously vague statute so that a folding knife that is not a switchblade and is under 6″ in blade length may be carried concealed by anyone including those under age 18. It would also allow adults who are not prohibited persons to carry concealed a “bowie [SIC] knife, a dirk, … Continued... Read More

That draconian Hawaii Knife Ban bill, SB 433, has been stopped, failing to receive a hearing by deadline! Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner, flew to Hawaii and lobbied at the Capitol, explaining to Senators just how badly this proposed bill would impact ordinary Hawaiians. SB 433 would have absolutely banned carry, open or concealed, of most knives, and all knives in many public places in Hawaii! We are very appreciative of the support we received from a number of our good friends in Hawaii. … Continued... Read More

Longtime Knife Rights friend Vermont Senator Patrick Brennan has filed SB 61 that would repeal the state’s ban on switchblade knives three inches or more in length. Switchblades (automatic knives) with a blade three inches or more in length are the only knives specifically outlawed in Vermont. Vermont has Constitutional (Permitless) Carry so, you can carry any legal firearm open or concealed and you can carry any knife open or concealed except a switchblade with a blade 3 inches or longer. … Continued... Read More

We are pleased to once again take the lead in protecting the knife industry from the adverse effects of anti-knife sentiment that unfortunately still exists among some in this country. Idaho SB 1027, a bill to enact the Transparency in Financial Services Act, was amended to add “knives” at Knife Rights’ request by our good friend Senator Carl Bjerke. Sen. Bjerke was the sponsor of our Idaho Knife Law Preemption bill that was enacted last year.  … Continued... Read More

This week Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner, spent a good deal of time in airports, airliners and hotels traveling to two committee hearings in Washington and then Arkansas just days apart. Our record of 50 bills enacted in 31 states is testament to the effectiveness of showing up at the state houses and doing the work on the ground, despite the high cost of travel. Your continued support is what allows us to get this done. … Continued... Read More

This week Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner, spent a good deal of time in airports, airliners and hotels traveling to two committee hearings and sessions in Washington and then Arkansas just days apart. Our record of 50 bills enacted in 31 states is testament to the effectiveness of showing up at the state houses and doing the work on the ground, despite the high cost of travel. Your continued support is what allows us to get this done. … Continued... Read More

On Friday, February 7, President Trump issued an extraordinary Executive Order “Protecting Second Amendment Rights.” While the EO is focused on firearms, as we often have to remind folks, the Second Amendment doesn’t say “firearms,” it simply says “arms,” and that includes knives. The EO’s Plan of Action encompasses efforts that may be directly applicable to Knife Rights’ specific interests: Sec. 2. Plan of Action. (a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, … Continued... Read More

Arkansas Representative Joey Carr and Senator Terry Rice have introduced HB1418, a bill that would enact Knife Rights’ signature Knife Law Preemption in the state. This comes after many years of behind the scenes work by Knife Rights and our friends in the Arkansas legislature. The bill adds “Knives” and “Knife-making components” to the state’s existing Firearms Law Preemption statute. Knife Law Preemption is a Knife Rights’ criminal justice reform effort that repeals and prevents local ordinances more restrictive than state law which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state. … Continued... Read More

Plaintiffs in our lawsuit challenging California’s ban on switchblade (automatic) knives with a blade 2-inches and greater on Second Amendment grounds have filed their Opening Brief on appeal with the infamously anti-2A United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. As we saw recently in Teter, the Hawaii Butterfly Knife case, that doesn’t necessarily mean we get a final victory in the Ninth Circuit, … Continued... Read More

Plaintiffs in Knife Rights’ federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of portions of the Federal Switchblade Act under the Second Amendment have filed their Response to the DOJ’s Motion to Dismiss and their Reply in Further Support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment. The very short version is that at the same time that the Department of Justice continues its claim that none of the Plaintiffs are under any threat of prosecution, … Continued... Read More

Only months after celebrating the repeal of Hawaii’s bans on butterfly, switchblade and gravity knives, and more, legislators have filed a bill, SB 433, that would absolutely ban carry, open or concealed, of most knives, and all knives in many public places in Hawaii! The proposed bans are unquestionably unconstitutional under the Bruen Second Amendment precedent, but the Ninth Circuit just gave another middle finger to the Supreme Court’s guidance. … Continued... Read More