Some states claiming to be strongly protective of gun rights are trying to lure firearms and ammunition manufacturers away from states with tougher guns laws, many of them passed in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. school shootings.
According to a report Monday in
USA Today, Texas, South Carolina, and Idaho are among states looking to attract manufacturers, stressing a friendly approach to the Second Amendment.
One of the leaders in the effort is Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, who has written at least 13 manufacturers in states such as New York and Oregon, promising that the Lone Star State will not impose “unwarranted government intrusion into your business.”
Likewise, Republican Congressman Jeff Duncan of South Carolina recently wrote ammunition magazine maker Magpul, currently based in Colorado, inviting the company to leave the West and settle in the Southeast. Magpul has in the past threatened to leave Colorado if the state passes restrictions on high-capacity ammunition magazines. Suppliers to Magpul have also indicated they would follow suit if the company relocated.
“South Carolina would welcome Magpul with open arms,” Duncan said in his letter, according to a press release from his office. “In South Carolina, we believe in the Second Amendment. We believe in free enterprise. We believe in the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our state welcomes any individual or business who believes the same.”
It is too early to tell whether the efforts will bear fruit, but at least one company has turned down Perry’s overtures.
Crimson Trace of Wilsonville, Ore., a manufacturer of laser-sighting systems used in handguns, has said it doesn’t plan to relocate to Texas. Company officials say they’re happy with “the entrepreneurial spirit of Oregon.”
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