North Dakota legislators took a firm stand against the notion of gun “buybacks” this month when they overwhelmingly passed a bill prohibiting the use of tax dollars to help get guns out of the hands of private citizens.
The House voted 66–26 in favor of H.B. 1381, with state Rep. Luke Simons saying: “The state should not be in the business of buying back guns. Ever.”
Of course, we know the term “buyback” is a farce anyway because how can a government entity buy backsomething it never possessed or sold in the first place? But it was nice to see an elected official voice the logic behind even considering such chicanery to get citizens to willingly give up their private property.
The bill also makes it illegal for law enforcement to support any such “buybacks”—making police backing of any such plan a misdemeanor.
The bill is now headed to the Senate for review.
