Weekly Wrap: DOJ Creates Red Flag Resource Center

Welcome to a weekly series here on Pew Pew Tactical dedicated to the gun news you need to know.

So, keep reading for this week’s notable news headlines…

Justice Department Creates Red Flag Resource Center

The Department of Justice announced a new center designed to offer resources and training for states with Extreme Risk Protection Orders, a.k.a. red flag laws.

The newly created National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center looks to serve a variety of civil servants, including law enforcement, court workers, social workers, clinicians, and community organizations, with training and assistance regarding ERPOs.

Backed by a whopping $238 million in funding from the Office of Justice Programs under the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program, the ERPO Resource Center will see $4 million being dedicated to training and another $2 million headed to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions to get the center up and running.

In essence, the ERPO Resource Center will assist communities with implementing red flag programs that will remove firearms from individuals deemed at risk to themselves or others.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said the resource center is another tool the DoJ is using to combat gun violence in America.

“The launch of the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center will provide our partners across the country with valuable resources to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others,” Garland said in a statement.

“The establishment of the Center is the latest example of the Justice Department’s work to use every tool provided by the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to protect communities from gun violence.”

However, critics argue that red flag laws only stigmatize mental health.

“‘Red flag’ laws strip a person of a Constitutional right without addressing the allegedly dangerous person’s underlying mental health condition or conduct. This leaves the potentially dangerous individual free to continue their course of conduct,” The NRA-ILA, the legislative wing of the National Rifle Association, said in a statement regarding red flag laws in general.

“If a ‘red flag’ gun confiscation order is used in lieu of a more comprehensive method of addressing the individual’s condition, the procedure could hurt rather than help an individual in need of services and those around them.”

As it stands, 21 states and the District of Columbia have red flag laws on the books.

You can learn more about red flag laws here.

Guns & Ammo Net Almost $1B for State Conservation

Funds collected from the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration program totaled $989 million and will be used for wildlife conservation and other programs.

The funds come from mandated taxes under the Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937. Under the act, an excise tax of 11% is levied on long guns and ammo and 10% on handguns. Funds from the taxes are then re-directed back to states’ fish and wildlife agencies for public hunting access, hunter education programs, and public target ranges.

Texas, Alaska, and California collected the most in tax funds, with Texas and Alaska topping $40K and California coming in just over $30K. In contrast, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the N. Mariana Islands collected the least amount, hovering around $1,600.

“The firearm industry is proud to know that the overwhelming majority of the conservation dollars being re-invested back to state wildlife conservation, range construction and hunter education is derived from the Pittman-Robertson excise taxes paid by the firearm and ammunition industry,” the National Shooting Sports Foundation said in a blog post.

In total, the funds have helped create 792 target ranges across the U.S. and contribute to educating approximately 1 million people every year.

Sources

• Department of Justice: Office of Public Affairs
• National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center
• NRA-ILA
• 2024 Apportionment for the Wildlife Restoration Act
• NSSF