Governor Tate Reeves has approved a bill that blocks the creation of gun registries and efforts to track financial transactions related to the purchase of firearms.
House Bill 1110 prohibits any state entity or private individual from keeping a registry of privately owned firearms or their owners and blocks financial institutions from using a firearms code to track gun purchases.
“The Second Amendment rights of Mississippians shall not be infringed,” Reeves said. “My administration will continue to push back on national Democrats’ unconstitutional gun grabs that threaten the safety and privacy of law-abiding gun owners. Unlike California and New York, we’re proud to welcome the firearms industry and gun owners from across the country to enjoy the protections that our state has to offer. Let me be clear: as long as I’m governor, the Second Amendment is here to stay in Mississippi.”
According to Reeves’ office, Mississippians have raised concerns about how some officials have attempted to use financial institutions and government agencies to track gun purchases and owners.
“These types of policies represent a dangerous slippery slope,” Reeves stated. “Certain gun-grabbing politicians aim to achieve their ultimate goal of depriving Americans’ of their Second Amendment rights one unconstitutional step at a time. We have to stand our ground.”
Credit card company Visa gave a statement about the continued attempts to utilize this information against gun manufacturers, distributors, and sellers, saying, “[w]e do not believe private companies should serve as moral arbiters. Asking private companies to decide what legal products or services can or cannot be bought and from what store sets a dangerous precedent. Further, it would be an invasion of consumers’ privacy for banks and payment networks to know each of our most personal purchasing habits. Visa is firmly against this.”
This legislation takes direct aim at efforts to track and monitor purchases and puts a halt to attempts to enact any program of this sort in Mississippi.
In 2022, the firearms industry had almost a $1.2 billion impact on the Mississippi economy. It supported more than 4,800 jobs paying over $284 million in wages.
“Mississippi isn’t going to shut the door on the lawful and constitutional firearms industry,” Reeves added. “We’re not going to crack down on a lawful industry that is helping people put food on their table through meaningful employment.”
