Anti-gunners are once again proving that when they can’t win at the ballot box or in the courts, they’ll simply try to bankrupt the companies that make the products they hate. This latest push for a “gun company shakedown law” is a transparent attempt to impose liability on manufacturers for the criminal misuse of their products—something no other industry is forced to endure. It’s the same tired playbook we’ve seen in places like New York and California, where activist attorneys general weaponize vague “public nuisance” statutes to extract settlements that fund their political allies and chill lawful commerce. The timing, dropped at the last minute before a legislative deadline, reeks of desperation rather than good-faith policymaking.

For the 2A community, this isn’t just another bill to watch—it’s a direct assault on the legal protections that keep the firearms industry alive. Without those protections, every manufacturer, distributor, and FFL could face endless litigation from activist plaintiffs who never have to prove the company did anything wrong. That kind of legal exposure doesn’t just raise prices; it can drive smaller innovators out of business entirely, shrinking consumer choice and slowing the development of safer, more reliable firearms. The fact that this effort is being revived now, after years of failed attempts and court losses, shows how little respect some lawmakers have for both the Constitution and basic principles of fairness.

The broader implication is clear: if this kind of law succeeds anywhere, it becomes a template for nationwide harassment. Gun owners should treat this as the warning shot it is and stay engaged with their state legislators, because the people pushing these bills aren’t interested in stopping criminals—they’re interested in punishing an entire lawful industry out of existence.