In the 1970s and 80s, the gun lobby faced the threat of an effective national movement to prevent gun violence. To stop that grassroots movement, the NRA borrowed a page from the tobacco industry’s playbook and promoted state preemption of local gun laws. They succeeded in 43 states, but in the handful of states that have preserved local authority, such as California, grassroots movements have thrived and passed strong gun laws that save lives.
The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence tracks and analyzes state gun laws, including preemption.
