Legislative Update

Even when you win a Second Amendment case decisively in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, you may lose in court in the end, having won a battle, but not the war. Which is annoying as all get out, but we’ll take our wins as best we can, even as the war continues (see above). As you will recall, in the case of Teter v. Lopez, the three-judge appeals court panel gave us a decisive and masterfully written Second Amendment win that declared butterfly knives to be arms protected by the Second Amendment and voiding Hawaii’s ban. … Continued... Read More

With the signing of the Ohio Preemption Enhancement bill last week, Knife Rights reached a significant milestone: 50 bills enacted in 31 states in just 16 years! Knife Rights is fundamentally reshaping the legal landscape for knife owners across America. From repealing and preventing knife bans to passing and strengthening Knife Rights’ signature Knife Law Preemption, we are proud to lead the charge for freedom and the rights of knife owners nationwide. … Continued... Read More

The Department of Justice has filed its Reply Brief and Motion to Dismiss in Knife Rights’ federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of portions of the Federal Switchblade Act under the Second Amendment. The bottom line; it doesn’t look a whole lot different than the first time around, despite Plaintiffs addressing all the issues raised and the Court’s ridiculous dismissal rationale. Beyond the same old claim that Plaintiffs have no standing because the Act is not enforced, … Continued... Read More

Missouri Representative Bryant Wolfin has introduced Knife Rights supported HB 446 which would repeal the state’s ban on “knuckles,” including Trench Knives, karambits and similar knives that have a ringed handle. Although knuckles ban repeal bills and the like are not core knife bills, they do affect many knife owners and a segment of the knife community that we care about. Given the opportunity to repeal these bans, we’ll gladly support the effort, … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights supported Ohio SB 58, which enhances the protections provided by the state’s preemption statute, was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine last Wednesday. The revised statute, while primarily enhancing firearms law preemption, also included knives at Knife Rights’ request. It prohibits jurisdictions from requiring a fee for the possession of a knife. Knife Rights’ Director of Legislative Affairs,Todd Rathner, has been working with primary bill sponsors Senator Terry Johnson and Theresa Gavarone since 2023 to assure this bill protected you and your knives. … Continued... Read More

After a many years of behind the scenes work by Knife Rights’ Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner, and our friends in the Arkansas legislature, preliminary steps have been taken to enact Knife Rights’ signature Knife Law Preemption in Arkansas. These steps are a prelude to getting the bill introduced in the 2025 legislative session in Arkansas. Knife Rights would like to thank Representatives Jeff Wardlaw and Joey Carr, and Senator Ben Gilmore for their efforts to enact Knife Law Preemption so Arkansas can join the other 16 states in which we have done so. … Continued... Read More

As you can see below, this year has been extremely successful for Knife Rights because of your support. Without it, we can’t accomplish anything. With it, we’ve gotten more done this year than any prior election year. Thank you for being part of this success. We are set up to have a banner year in 2025, but we need your continued generous donations so we can get out there and work our tails off for you. … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights and its fellow plaintiffs have filed their Motion for Summary Judgement in their federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of portions of the Federal Switchblade Act (Title 15 Chapter 29 §1241) under the Second Amendment. The Plaintiffs have requested that the Court issue an order finding the Federal Switchblade Act is unconstitutional and that the challenged aspects of the law involving restrictions on interstate commerce and on Native American reservations, … Continued... Read More

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, Knife Rights’ Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2024, H.R. 10178 and S. 5358. (KOPA), was introduced today by Representative. Andy Biggs and Senator Mike Lee. KOPA would protect law-abiding knife owners traveling throughout the U.S. from the vagaries of restrictive state and local laws. … Continued... Read More

Maryland was initially granted a 30-day extension to respond to the Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court in the case of Snope v Brown in which Knife Rights has filed an Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court) Brief in support of petition. As reviewed below, this is a critical Second Amendment case. When Maryland sought an additional 30-day extension, SCOTUS denied them the full 30 days, … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights has filed a new federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of portions of the Federal Switchblade Act (Title 15 Chapter 29 §1241). Knife Rights’ original lawsuit was dismissed on absurd standing grounds back in June. As the deadline for filing for reconsideration or an appeal approached, we decided that it would be better to go with a fresh lawsuit. That decision was based an effort to, hopefully, minimize the total litigation time, … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Minnesota’s complete ban on switchblades (automatically opening knives). Despite the Supreme Court’s binding Second Amendment precedent, the State of Minnesota virtually completely prohibits the manufacture, transfer and possession of common automatically opening knives.  The sole exception to this ban is for possession “by museums or collectors of art or for other lawful purposes of public exhibition.” The State’s ban denies individuals who reside in or visit Minnesota their fundamental, … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights has filed an Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court) Brief in support of the Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court in the case of Snope v Brown (formerly Bianchi v. Frosh). The petition seeks review of the en banc Fourth Circuit’s incredibly flawed decision that so-called “assault weapons” are not “arms” protected by the Second Amendment despite being owned by millions of Americans and being the most popular rifle in the U.S. … 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 a Notice of Appeal of the Court’s terribly flawed decision against us. This is the first procedural step in the process of appealing that decision. It was always inevitable that this case was going up to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. … Continued... Read More

The recent diametrically opposed decisions in Second Amendment cases involving switchblades continues to generate interest. Below please find two articles, one by a leading 2A journalist and the other by an exceptional 2A scholar. The first article published on Ammoland is by Dean Weingarten who provides a layman’s explanation of the decisions and a warning for us all. Two Courts Disagree on Knives Under the Second Amendment The second article published on The Volokh Conspiracy is by noted constitutional law scholar David Kopel. … Continued... Read More

Never say never! In a criminal case involving illegal carry of a switchblade, Commonwealth v. Canjura, that challenged the constitutionality under the Second Amendment of Massachusetts’ ban on carry of a switchblade (with a blade over 1.5 inches), the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has struck down the state’s ban! Click here to read the Court’s decision. NOTE: Carry of a stiletto, dagger, dirk knife or any knife having a double-edged blade, … Continued... Read More

Yesterday afternoon I had my National Knife Day post ready to go when the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California issued its decision in our lawsuit challenging California’s ban on switchblade (automatic) knives with a blade 2-inches and greater on Second Amendment grounds. We’re celebrating the freedom most of us in America enjoy to possess and carry whatever knife we want and the Court decides to issue a decision in an important knife related Second Amendment case challenging a ban on knives. … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights’ bill that enacts our signature Knife Law Preemption, H0620, takes effect today, July 1st. Preemption eliminates local ordinances more restrictive than state law which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state. Preemption ensures citizens can expect consistent enforcement of state knife laws everywhere within a state. Knife Rights passed the nation’s first Knife Law Preemption bill in Arizona in 2010 and has since passed preemption bills in Alaska, … Continued... Read More

With the deadline for filing motions approaching, we are moving forward on Knife Rights’ federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of significant portions of the Federal Switchblade Act on Second Amendment grounds. The court previously dismissed this lawsuit on standing grounds “without prejudice.” The court made that decision based on testimony by the Feds that they have not enforced the act through prosecutions since 2010, but it turns out that there has been enforcement action taken very recently. … Continued... Read More

The recent decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in United States v. Rahimi bears on our lawsuit challenging California’s ban on switchblade (automatic) knives with a blade 2-inches and greater on Second Amendment grounds. Plaintiff’s have filed a Notice of Supplemental Authority with the District Court hearing the case. As you may recall, during our recent hearing, the Court was focused on the baseless argument put forth by the State that in interpreting the plain text of the Second Amendment’s “the right to keep and bear arms,” … Continued... Read More