Knife Rights' Knife Owners' Protection Act Clears Critical Hurdle in Senate
Protects Knife Owners From Vagaries of Restrictive State Laws
WASHINGTON, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Knife Rights' Knife Owners' Protection Act, S. 1315 (KOPA), cleared a critical hurdle yesterday when it was voted out of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Passage by the Commerce Committee sets the measure up for consideration by the full Senate. KOPA protects travelers from a patchwork of conflicting state knife laws.
The result of five years of effort, Knife Rights conceived, drafted and developed the Knife Owners' Protection Act as the first proactive pro-knife federal legislation introduced in the nation's history. The Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Senators Mike Enzi (R-UT) with co-sponsors Senators. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Lee (R-UT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Thune (R-SD) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter noted, "This legislation will solve a real and growing problem that faces every knife owner traveling throughout America--the threat of arrest and prosecution under misguided local laws merely for possessing knives during lawful travel." KOPA will protect law-abiding knife owners traveling throughout the U.S. from a patchwork of restrictive state and local laws. As long as possession of the particular knife is legal where the journey starts and ends, and provided the knife is secured in accordance with KOPA, a knife owner would no longer be threatened with arrest simply for traveling from one place to another.
"KOPA's only aim is to provide safe harbor to someone traveling with knives where they can legally be possessed at the points of origin and ultimate destination," Ritter emphasized, "the bill requires they be locked up during travel in states where they would be illegal. It eliminates the constant jeopardy of criminal prosecution for simply passing through. It offers no protection to anyone engaged in criminal activity."
KOPA was originally introduced in the House in November of 2013 by Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ) and was re-introduced earlier this year as H. 419.
A FAQ on KOPA with additional background can be found at: http://bit.ly/1arZIa0Â
ABOUT KNIFE RIGHTS
Knife Rights (www.KnifeRights.org) is America's grassroots knife owners organization, forging a Sharper Future™ for all Americans. Since 2010 Knife Rights has passed legislation eliminating knife restrictions in 13 states. Knife Rights is also lead plaintiff in a federal civil rights lawsuit against New York City.
SOURCE Knife Rights
Related Links
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article