MONTGOMERY — A bill to prevent state or local government from seizing lawfully owned guns during emergencies sailed through the Alabama House on Thursday and now heads to the Senate, where it was approved last year.
Rep. Mark Keahey, D-Grove Hill, said his measure is aimed at ensuring the chaos that comes with disasters, such as hurricanes, is not made worse by overzealous government officials.
"The Second Amendment gives us a constitutional right to bear arms, and this bill is just an effort, on Alabama's part, to help us maintain that right," Keahey said.
The bill was inspired by the events following Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans police collected more than 1,000 firearms from residents, according to a National Rifle Association tally. Law-abiding citizens turned over their guns, but criminals kept theirs to use against unarmed citizens, Keahey said.
"You've got those people going into others' houses, knowing that they don't have their guns or anything to protect them, and it's just free rein," he said. Keahey added that his bill would prevent similar events in Alabama and bring the state in line with 33 others to pass similar legislation.
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