Knife Rights' Knife Owners' Protection Act Introduced in Congress
Protects Knife Owners From Vagaries of Restrictive State Laws
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Knife Owners' Protection Act, H.R.3478, has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05). H.R.3478 would protect the right of knife owners to travel throughout the U.S. without fear of prosecution under the myriad patchwork of state and local knife laws.
The measure allows for the secure and safe transportation of knives through jurisdictions where the mere ownership of a certain type of knife is enough to bring arrest and criminal prosecution.
Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, "we've fought successfully to defend the right to carry a knife, an essential tool, in the individual states, cities and towns, but the Knife Owners' Protection Act represents a key step to protect law-abiding knife owners simply passing through areas like New York City where possessing the most commonly owned pocket knife in America, the one-hand opening folding knife, may result in arrest and prosecution."
Rep. Salmon said, "This legislation is long overdue. The Knife Owners' Protection Act is a responsible and reasonable means of ensuring that knife owners throughout America can travel with assurance that their rights will be protected with equal respect for states with overly restrictive knife laws."
Today, "merely transiting through Kennedy Airport in New York and changing planes en route can mean confiscation of knives in checked baggage and jail," Ritter said, "honest, law-abiding citizens have been prosecuted in similar situations in Michigan, New Mexico, Texas and New Jersey, to name but a few."
"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 an area. It offers no protection to anyone engaged in criminal activity."
ABOUT KNIFE RIGHTS
Knife Rights (www.KnifeRights.org) is America's grassroots knife owners organization, dedicated to a Sharper Future™ for all knife owners. Since 2010 Knife Rights has passed pro-knife legislation in 11 states and prevented anti-knife legislation in four states. Knife Rights is also lead plaintiff in a federal civil rights lawsuit against New York City.
SOURCE Knife Rights
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