Guns & Pot
Update: this article has been revised for accuracy. While you do not need a permit to own a handgun, you do need to have a permit to purchase one. Details of this process are shown at : https://www.omahasheriff.org/services/gun-permits
Generally, I do not care to comment on law enforcement issues until the news media does weird things or the public does not fully understand the issue. However, a few stories are worthy of attention.
I had previously written about the problems of marijuana derivatives being sold in edible foods (https://andrewlsullivan.substack.com/p/omaha-poisoned-treats) and now there is action on the issue. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has rightly proposed changes in the law to eliminate such products and limit them (https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/01/04/nebraska-ag-mike-hilgers-pitches-crime-package-focused-on-consumer-protection/ and https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/nebraska-ag-targets-scammers-delta-8-thc-with-priority-legislation/article_338ba48a-ab3a-11ee-8000-6b5dadb929cc.html).
State Senator Teresa Ibach (https://nebraskalegislature.gov/senators/landing-pages/index.php?District=44) has taken up the proposal and introduced LB 999 (https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55377) which would regulate marijuana derivatives. Some will oppose this as a matter of a "war on drugs" but legal products can be regulated.
On another front, newly elected Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson is still spinning over Nebraska’s new Constitutional Carry law but perhaps not in the way he intended. Nebraska Governor Pillen had barely completed signing the legislation into law when anti-gun activists, filled with paranoia, pushed for new restrictions instead of waiting to see what impact the law would have. The result in Omaha has been a lawsuit caused by Mayor Stothert's Executive Orders (https://omaha.com/news/local/government-politics/attorneys-debate-guns-in-parks-in-hearing-of-lawsuit-against-omaha-firearms-regulations/article_7a458e68-b62f-11ee-bd5c-c70140aafe0e.html). The Liberty Justice Center is not only suing Omaha but Lincoln as well over these attempts to control guns (https://libertyjusticecenter.org/current-cases/)
But for the Sheriff, another issue has arisen. There has been a greater demand for handguns, but you still need a permit to purchase a handgun. The result is 117 people were denied purchase permits because they lied on the application (https://www.wowt.com/2024/01/18/douglas-county-sees-rise-handgun-purchase-permit-applications-denials/) which is a felony. The Sheriff says he could use the manpower to follow up on such cases. What I do not like about the WOWT coverage is the unsubstantiated claim of "major spikes in homicide rates, auto theft, and financial crimes.”
All these licensing schemes and permission slips local, state and federal are repugnant to the Constitution and basic human rights. I would love it is someone could site in the Bill of Rights or in the Constitution where we gave government the power to issue permission slips for firearms or anything else for that matter. With government in the 20th Century murdering 262 million or 300 per hour I fear government agents and their arms more than fear my crazy neighbor or any drug head. Queen Jean and her 7 dwarfs do not have this power either. If Omaha's citizen owners cannot behave themselves the state should step in and slap them down and take away their home rule charter. No mere city mayor or her dwarfs can over rule state law or the Constitution. While we have to work in the frame work we are being dealt we - in my opinion - should be asking just where in the rule book we wrote for government we gave them this power.
Guns and Pot Jan 21 - the article stated quote: "There has been a greater demand for handguns, but you still need a Federal permit to purchase a handgun." - This is incorrect. You need either a Nebraska state purchase permit or a Nebraska concealed carry permit. Nothing Federal involved. Both will invoke a Federal background check, but the license is 100% Nebraska.