Protecting our 2nd Amendment

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX (Monday, January 6, 2025) – Arizona State Representatives Quang Nguyen and Selina Bliss, Chair and Vice-Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, have issued a letter to Jennie Cunico, Cabinet Executive Officer of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), voicing strong objections to the Arizona Child Fatality Review Team’s (CFRT) recent annual report to the Legislature.

The report, which reviewed child deaths in 2023, includes CRFT’s recommendation that it “believes that the most effective way to prevent firearm-related deaths in children is to remove all firearms in households with children because the presence of firearms in a household increases the risk of suicide among adolescents.”

In their letter to ADHS, Representatives Nguyen and Bliss rightly call out CFRT’s radical attack on the constitutional rights of Arizonans, equating it to attempts by other states to curtail Second Amendment freedoms:

“We are appalled that the CFRT, speaking on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health Services, is actually advocating for stripping Arizonans of their Second Amendment rights in their own homes. This radical proposal is reminiscent of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 2023 gun control order, which attempted to prohibit carrying of firearms in public for self-defense. You may recall that Governor Grisham’s order—accurately characterized as ‘insanely unconstitutional’ and ‘outrageous’—was swiftly blocked in court.

“The CFRT’s ‘do something’ approach to child-fatality legislation would not only violate the constitutional rights of millions of Arizonans; it is also irrational from a policy perspective. The CFRT’s Report notes that 31 children drowned in 2023 and that the majority of these deaths occurred in pools and hot tubs. Yet the CFRT does not recommend the elimination of pools and hot tubs. Instead, the CFRT advocates for common-sense ideas: ‘close, constant supervision of children when around water, increased availability and affordability of swim lessons for children, and proper pool enclosures.’

“Effective policy solutions—even for problems that are difficult and complex—must be designed to fully protect constitutional rights and liberties. We urge you to direct the CFRT to reconsider its unjustified attack on the Second Amendment and amend its Report.”

“Proposals to strip citizens of their firearms are not only unconstitutional but also lack common sense,” said Representative Nguyen. “While the report suggests reasonable safety measures for other risks, such as drowning, the CFRT overreaches by advocating for the elimination of firearms entirely from homes with children.”

“Our state should focus on education and safe practices, not on extreme measures that undermine individual liberties,” added Representative Bliss. “We stand firm in defending the Second Amendment rights of Arizona families.”250106NGUYENBLISSDHSLTR (1)