Press Releases
Congressman Massie Introduces Bill to Repeal Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act
Washington, D.C.-,
April 6, 2023
For Immediate Release “Gun-free zones are ineffective and make our schools less safe. Since 1950, 94 percent of mass public shootings have occurred in places where citizens are banned from having guns,” Rep. Thomas Massie said. “Banks, churches, sports stadiums, and many of my colleagues in Congress are protected with firearms. Yet children inside the classroom are too frequently left vulnerable.” “The only thing gun-free zones do is disarm law-abiding citizens and take away their ability to protect themselves and others. We shouldn’t leave our most vulnerable – our children – in an unsafe environment like gun-free zones where acts of violence cannot be stopped,” Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) said. “So-called ‘gun free’ school zones have left our children utterly defenseless,” said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights. “Instead of ‘protecting’ our kids with a tin sign, let’s defend them with something that makes a difference: a good guy with a gun. We’re proud to support the Safe Students Act and we’re lobbying everyone in Congress to join as a co-sponsor. It’s time to protect America’s most precious resource: our kids.” "GOA staunchly advocates for the repeal of the Gun-Free School Zones Act, which disarms parents and staff, and more importantly, leaves schools significantly less protected as soft targets for those looking to commit violence," said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs, Gun Owners of America. "The federal government has no business dictating where law-abiding citizens carry arms in public, and prohibiting firearms in schools has certainly not yielded the outcome then Senator Biden and the 101st Congress thought it would.” “We all agree that protecting our children is a priority,” said Dianna Muller, Founder of the DC Project, Women for Gun Rights. “The DC Project fully supports the Safe Students Act and applauds Congressman Massie and his colleagues for their leadership to ensure parents and teachers can lawfully carry and protect our kids.” “More than three decades of evidence since the passage of the 'Gun-Free School Zones Act' shows us that those who wish to do harm to others specifically target schools because they know everyone there is a sitting duck. These 'gun free zones' don't work, they empower criminals and endanger students, teachers, and staff," said Patrick Parsons of The American Firearms Association.
This bill, originally introduced by Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) in 2007, repeals GFSZA, a law that makes it “unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.” In 1995, the Supreme Court held the GFSZA unconstitutional, which prompted Congress to amend the bill in 1996. The Supreme Court has not ruled on the constitutionality of the amended Act.
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