Arizona Politics

Biggs Reintroduces Knife Owners Protection Act

State and local laws surrounding the ownership and carrying of knives, whether as tools or self-defense weapons, are far more inconsistent than laws regarding gun ownership. This has inspired Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) to team up with Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) to reintroduce the Knife Owners Protection Act (KOPA).

As the Blaze described, KOPA was drafted in 2010 and introduced in 2013, notably proactive in protecting the rights of knife owners.

Moreover, KOPA appears to be inspired by the 1986 Firearm Owner Protection Act (FOPA), a similar bill protecting gun owners from inconsistent state and local laws.

KOPA, in essence, states that if possession of a knife is legal in the state to and from which the owner is traveling, and provided the knife is secured in accordance with the requirements set in KOPA, knife owners no longer face the potential of arrest while traveling between states.

"The government must not discourage interstate travel and commerce by subjecting law-abiding knife owners to the fear of prosecution under the myriad patchwork of state and local knife laws. Americans are guaranteed the right to protect themselves, their families, and their businesses by the Second Amendment, and we must ensure that those rights are protected. I'm thankful for Senator Lee's leadership on this issue in the Senate and for the support of my colleagues as we work to move this bill through Congress," said Rep. Biggs in his press release.

Doug Ritter, Chair of the Knife Rights group, added, "Those who travel across the country with knives for work, recreation, and self-defense are presently subject to arrest and prosecution under a confusing patchwork of inconsistent state and local laws. What is perfectly legal in one place may be a serious crime in another, resulting in forfeiture of the knife and carrying significant penalties, including jail time. Enforcement is not uniform even within jurisdictions and is too often subject to the vagaries of political expediency."

At the end of July, Representative Eli Crane's (R-AZ) Veteran Gun Rights Restoration Act, which would rule all previous submissions of VA data to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as unlawful, passed out of committee.

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.

Recent Posts

Ruben Gallego Responds to GOP Letter to Reopen Government

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) responded to a letter signed by Arizona's congressional Republicans, specifically calling…

3 hours ago

POLL: White House Shares Survey Showing Most Americans Want End to Democrat Government Shutdown

The White House is promoting the latest Harris CAPS/Harris Poll, which shows that the majority…

5 hours ago

Tom Horne Highlights Holocaust Education Requirements on October 7th Anniversary

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne issued a statement this week on the second…

5 hours ago

Kris Mayes Secures 9-Year Sentence for Instagram Drug Dealer Targeting Teens

Attorney General Kris Mayes announced a significant victory in her fight against drug dealers who…

6 hours ago

‘Arctic Frost’ Heats up Government Surveillance Concerns

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R) dropped a bombshell document this week, showing that…

6 hours ago

Lawmakers Mourn two Year Anniversary of October 7 Attack

This week marks the 2nd anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack when Hamas-led militants…

7 hours ago