The bill concerns guns, accessories and ammunition made and distributed in-state. The rationale is that the federal government has the constitutional power only to regulate interstate commerce. The bill passed through the House last year and was the subject of a hearing Monday in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The firearms legislation probably would have no practical effect, said Ken Feinman, a spokesman for the largest gun shop in Alaska, Wild West Guns in Anchorage. Alaska gun shops rely heavily on out-of-state components.
"We just don't have the manufacturing capacity here," he said.
Nevertheless, Feinman said he supports the bill for the same reason its primary sponsor, Rep. Mike Kelly of Fairbanks, does -- it sends a message about 2nd Amendment rights and states' rights.
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