CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey again is expressing his support for and his fervent defense of the Second Amendment in response to federal gun control measures proposed by President Joe Biden.
“Defending the second amendment remains one of the most important priorities for the West Virginia Attorney General’s office,” Morrisey said April 8 shortly after Biden announced his plans. “I will not allow the far left to run roughshod over our citizens’ gun rights. If President Biden follows through on his proposals, we will be in court very quickly."
Saing he wants to limit "ghost guns" and to make it easier for people to flag family members who shouldn't be allowed to purchase firearms, Biden introduced a series of executive actions Thursday in the wake of recent mass shootings.
“Gun violence and the senseless death attributed to it should pain all Americans, however, the evil acts of a select few should never be a catalyst for stripping the lawful masses of their constitutional rights, especially their right to self-defense and to bear arms,” Morrisey said, expressing concern with the proposal to advance the use of red flag laws, to modify the definition of short-barrel rifles and to add what he calls "burdensome and unlawful" background checks.
Biden's executive power to act on guns is limited. His plan does include moves to tighten regulations on homemade guns and provide more resources for gun-violence prevention, but it isn't the broad gun-control agenda he touted during his campaign.
His administration often has emphasized the need for legislative action on the issue.
"It is actually a public health crisis," Biden said during a press conference Thursday morning where he also called gun violence an epidemic and international embarrassment. "We're absolutely determined to make change."