It’s been five months since the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., sparked a national gun debate. In Colorado, the state legislature there pushed through a ban on high-capacity magazines – the kind that were used to kill 12 people at a movie theater in Aurora, Co. last summer.
But some of this out-of-state legislation could bring new business to Idaho.
The Gem State has a long history of welcoming the gun industry. According to StateImpact Idaho, there are at least 180 firearm and ammunition makers here. For the last several years, Idaho’s Department of Commerce has been actively recruiting companies in the “rec tech” industry. And now, they have their sights set on companies looking to make a move from states like Colorado.
Colorado’s ban on high-capacity magazines means that companies manufacturing that product will no longer be able to sell them in the state. According to NPR, this has some companies in the industry looking to relocate to more gun-friendly business environments.
“Our state is certainly well-poised to attract some of these gun and ammunition manufacturers that may be looking for a new place for their operations," says Megan Ronk with Idaho's Commerce Department. "That’s something we’re following very closely and pursuing aggressively.”
Ronk declined to say what companies the department is pursuing. But she says Idaho’s politics make the state an attractive place.
“I think it’s fair to say that we have a long-standing history of defending freedom, of protecting the Second Amendment," Ronk says. "And it’s really at the very fiber and core of who we are as a state. And certainly we would be a great partner for them.”
Ronk points out that while some states recently passed laws that fall under the “gun control” umbrella, Idaho’s legislature considered several bills to expand or further protect gun rights this legislative session.
Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio
