Alabama’s 2nd Amendment Lethargy

Guest Opinion by Gun Owners of America Representative Aaron Lonnergan

I’ve always been a mechanically minded person, I loved Legos as a kid, and as I’ve gotten older, this interest turned into new, and expensive, forms. Part of this fascination has played out with automotives, machining, additive manufacturing, but above all else I love how firearms function.

Firearms are the great equalizer worldwide; they enable you to provide food for your family, and most of all, defend yourself and others against harm.

Our founding fathers knew that our nation could not exist, and our people would not be free, without the private ownership of arms. American citizens used their privately held muskets, rifles, cannons, and warships to gain the very freedom we enjoy today, however diminished it may be.

As our nation has grown older, we have watched as restrictions on our 2nd Amendment have compounded, the 1934 National Firearms Act - President Roosevelt (D), 1968 Gun Control Act - Johnson (D), and the 1986 Firearm Owners Protection Act – Reagan (R), were all egregious restrictions on the American citizen that, as of January 1st , 2026, have begun to be defeated.

The One Big Beautiful Bill, however you may feel about it, did do at least one positive thing for the 2nd Amendment: it lowered the $200 tax stamp to $0. As a result, it tore away any justification for the existence of the 1934 National Firearms Act.

Here’s the root of the issue: The 1934 National Firearms act, or “1934 NFA”, was passed to essentially ban the ownership of firearms and accessories lawmakers thought sounded scary, and impose a $200 tax on those items in order to further cover up the illegal nature of this legislation.

So how does all this tie to Alabama’s legislators? Well, remember that supermajority I mentioned? Following the lead of States like Texas, Missouri, and Mississippi, we can pass an all-encompassing 2nd Amendment protection bill that would deregulate the manufacture of NFA items used for intrastate commerce. Not only would this restore the rights of our citizens; it would utilize domestic industries in aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing to research and produce affordable, cuttingedge new technology applicable to dozens, if not hundreds of industries.

Is all that true? Yes, and we have the data to back it up. As of January 1st , 2026, the ATF reports that with the new $0 tax stamp, over 150,000 new products were filed for approval in 24 hours, shattering the normal daily average of 2,500(4).

The economic benefits of deregulation in Alabama could be astonishing: the potential for thousands of new jobs, hundreds of thousands in tax revenue, and opening the door to untold new business opportunities for both established and new business owners.

So, what’s the next step? Well, that’s an easy one, I’m already writing the bill, and I’ll have updates on it soon. My message to our legislators is this: Many of you declare you’re allies of the 2nd Amendment when it’s time for re-election, but how many of you will take a stand and embody our State motto:

We Dare Defend Our Rights

Aaron Lonnergan is a GIS Analyst, former OTR Trucker, lifetime 2A advocate,, and the Chairman of the St. Clair County Young Republicans. 

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