Mississippi lawmaker drops gun bill after NRA opposition

A Mississippi senator has decided not to bring a bill up for a vote after facing opposition from the National Rifle Association. Sen. Brice Wiggins, a Republican from Pascagoula, had proposed legislation to restrict firearm access for individuals involved in domestic violence cases.

The bill, which was scheduled for discussion on Feb. 12, would have criminalized firearm and ammunition possession for people under domestic violence protection orders and removed guns from those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors. Wiggins said the legislation was supported by domestic violence survivors and advocates, highlighting Mississippi’s high gun death rate.

On the same day the bill was shelved, Pearl police responded to a domestic violence incident involving a man who was later found with 10 firearms after a standoff. Wiggins cited statistics showing at least 300 Mississippians died from domestic violence between 2020 and 2024, most involving guns.

The senator referenced the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in USA v. Rahimi, which upheld the temporary disarming of individuals posing credible threats, as long as due process is followed. Wiggins pointed out the court’s conservative makeup, including three Trump appointees, and its reversal of a lower court ruling.

While over 30 states have laws prohibiting gun possession for domestic violence misdemeanants, Mississippi lawmakers did not advance similar legislation this session. Several bills, including those proposing public online registries for domestic violence offenders, failed to pass amid ongoing domestic violence incidents in the state.

Records show nearly a dozen domestic violence-related deaths this year, and at least eight protection orders have been filed in Hinds County in the first two months alone. Wiggins said he intends to revisit the issue next year, emphasizing the need for balanced legislation that respects Second Amendment rights.

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