暗黑爆料

America has one of the in the developed world. That and the steady drumbeat of mass shootings, has led many states to pass stricter firearms regulations in recent years. But gun rights groups in more conservative states, like Idaho, are pushing legislatures to go in the opposite direction.

One of the groups is The Idaho Second Amendment Alliance. On a recent March day, its president, Greg Pruett, was peering into his smartphone at the Idaho Capitol making yet another Facebook video.

鈥淲e fight hard, we play for keeps, we take no prisoners,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l get in the trenches and fight dirty. We鈥檙e here to save Idaho.鈥�

He posts regular updates each Legislative Session for supporters of his influential gun rights group.

There鈥檚 been a lot of talk about guns from national politicians. But little action. The real fight is playing out at the state level. Pruett鈥檚 group, for example, has pushed Idaho to get rid of nearly all of its regulations.

And now lawmakers are poised to drop restrictions on out-of-state residents鈥� right to carry concealed weapons. and will likely pass the Senate.

Pruett said he took to lobbying state legislators when he saw no action from Washington.

鈥淭he Republicans didn鈥檛 do gun owners any favors in the first two years of President Trump鈥檚 tenure when they had control of The House and the Senate and obviously the White House,鈥� he said.

Idaho Second Amendment Alliance President Greg Pruett records a video for his group鈥檚 Facebook page. Pruett has put pressure on Republican lawmakers to support more and more sweeping gun rights in Idaho.

Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio

Idaho has long been gun-friendly, but the state鈥檚 absolutist turn is more recent.

Federal legislation pushed by gun rights groups, such as a proposal to force all states to recognize concealed carry permits from other states, has stalled. In that atmosphere, a loose affiliation of so-called no-compromise gun groups, like Pruett鈥檚 have been pushing lawmakers in conservative states farther to the right on firearms. These groups look down on the National Rifle Association as too soft on gun rights. And they鈥檝e been making headway.

That鈥檚 because Pruett鈥檚 group has to incumbents who cross them.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen some really good representatives that have lost the elections because they haven鈥檛 made the emotional vote that some of those special interest groups want,鈥� Wintrow said.

She said some Republicans who voted 鈥榥o鈥� on her bills privately told her they support her efforts.

鈥淲hy can鈥檛 we have a more balanced discussion?鈥� she said. 鈥淲hy can鈥檛 we talk about public safety? Why can鈥檛 we talk about the facts and put some of the emotion aside?鈥�

That interview was on a day Wintrow said gun lobbyists . This one to extend protections for sexual assault survivors.

Back in Idaho, the climate has gotten to the point where onlookers barely reacted when an older man and young girl with a rifle slung over her shoulder stepped up to the podium in February to testify in a legislative committee hearing.

鈥淢y name is Charles Nielsen,鈥� the man said. 鈥淭his my granddaughter, Bailey 鈥� Bailey is 11 years old. Bailey is carrying a loaded AR-15.鈥�

Idaho Second Amendment Alliance President Greg Pruett, right, stands with Ammon Bundy, who has been part of two armed standoffs with federal agents, during a gun rights rally in Boise, Idaho, in September 2018. Pruett and other state gun rights activists have been pushing some conservative legislatures to gut gun regulations.

Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio

UCLA Law Professor Adam Winkler wrote the book 鈥淕unfight鈥� about America鈥檚 legal battles over firearms.

鈥淚f one wanted to figure out at how successful the gun rights movement has been you wouldn鈥檛 look to Congress, you would look to the states,鈥� he said.

And this is happening as the trend is going in the opposite direction in much of the country. Idaho鈥檚 neighbor, Nevada, enacted sweeping firearms regulations last year. In February, New Mexico lawmakers passed a so-called red flag law, meaning courts can temporarily remove guns from at-risk people. And Colorado鈥檚 new red flag law went into effect in January.

Winkler says gun groups are trying to fight that tide by remaking the gun rights map state by state.

鈥淚 think the gun rights groups do have a larger strategy that explains things like what鈥檚 happening in Idaho,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he idea is to keep the momentum alive for lifting the restrictions on guns in America.

In Idaho, what鈥檚 also telling is what hasn鈥檛 passed. Bills to keep guns away from certain sex offenders and domestic abusers both failed in the past two years.

Boise Democrat Melissa Wintrow brought those bills. She was shocked at the outcome. This session, she鈥檚 not even trying to push them through, confident Republicans won鈥檛 touch gun laws in an election year. That鈥檚 because Pruett鈥檚 group has to incumbents who cross them.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen some really good representatives that have lost the elections because they haven鈥檛 made the emotional vote that some of those special interest groups want,鈥� Wintrow said.

She said some Republicans who voted 鈥榥o鈥� on her bills privately told her they support her efforts.

鈥淲hy can鈥檛 we have a more balanced discussion?鈥� she said. 鈥淲hy can鈥檛 we talk about public safety? Why can鈥檛 we talk about the facts and put some of the emotion aside?鈥�

That interview was on a day Wintrow said gun lobbyists . This one to extend protections for sexual assault survivors.

This story is published . is a public media reporting project on the role of guns in American life.

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