The BLADE Blogs

Indiana Senate’s Committee on Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters unanimously passed Senate Bill SB06, a bill Knife Rights officials stated they requested and that was sponsored by Senators Jim Tomes and Johnny Nugent, and which would overturn the state’s antiquated, irrational ban on the possession of switchblades.

      This is just the first step in this effort, but the unanimous bipartisan vote bodes well for the bill’s future. If you live, work or travel in Indiana, please contact your Senator and ask them to support SB06 when it comes to the floor for a vote in the coming days. Locate your Senator, or the Senator who represents where you work or travel here: http://district.iga.in.gov/DistrictLookup/

      Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs Todd Rathner testified at the hearing that the antiquated bans were implemented in the 1950s in response to hysteria induced by movies like “Rebel Without A Cause.” The bans were not based on any type of public threat, increase in crime or other public policy decision.

     SB06 removes a provision that makes it a Class B misdemeanor for a person to manufacture, possess, display, offer, sell, lend, give away, or purchase any knife with a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, device containing gas, spring, or other device in the handle of the knife. Read the bill here: http://1.usa.gov/sffRrU 

     The preceding is courtesy of Knife Rights. For more information click on http://kniferights.org/

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      According to Knife Rights (KR), Florida State Senator Thad Altman (R- District 24) has filed a Knife Law Preemption bill developed by Knife Rights with the cooperation of Florida Carry. KR also acknowledged former president of the NRA, Marion Hammer, the executive director of United Sportsmen of Florida, who was very helpful in this effort. SB 1732 is “a bill…providing legislative intent to preempt the regulation of knives and weapons to the Legislature.”  You can review the bill at www.kniferights.org/SB-1732_Knife-Preemption_Altman.pdf 

     This bill builds upon the success of last year’s revised Florida firearms preemption law that provided for painful penalties to political jurisdictions that were previously ignoring the existing firearms preemption law. The Knife and Weapons Preemption bill voids local laws and regulations and includes these same severe penalties if local jurisdiction were inclined to ignore this expansion of state preemption to cover knives. According to KR, this puts real teeth into this bill, ensuring “the repeal of rules, ordinances, and regulations prohibited by the [new] section [of law].”

     Two encompassing definitions are provided in the bill for “common pocketknife” and “knife” that are otherwise referenced in Florida law without constructive definitions. A “common pocketknife” is defined as “any knife that can be carried in a pocket, purse, handbag, backpack, briefcase, or sheath, or similar container.”  “Knife” is defined as “a cutting instrument that includes a sharpened or pointed blade, including a sheath knife commonly used for fishing, hunting, outdoor recreation, or work activities.”

    KR officials said they are working diligently to get a companion bill filed in the Florida House of Representatives, which is generally required to assure passage.

     For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. For subscription information click on http://www.shopblade.com/product/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?r+ssfb090112#BL1SU