Cheryl Todd Testifies Against Discrimination Focused On Gun Owners

Cheryl Todd, AZ State Director to The DC Project and VP of the AzCDL testified before the before the AZ House Judiciary Committee on SB1428. This Bill proscribes an Arizona political subdivision from prohibiting a gun show from occurring within the Subdivision.
The Bill received a party line 5 to 3 “Do Pass Recommendation”, which means that the Democrat Legislators agree with Discriminating against Lawful Commerce, simply because of their Political ideation.
• In some locales, gun shows are singled out for additional restrictions or sometimes prohibited all together, while other events proceed without interference. Such discrimination is not justified as gun shows are safe and lucrative for the host jurisdictions.
• Cities and counties should not be playing political favorites when it comes to hosting events open to the public.

Testimony to the AZ Legislature on SB1428 in 2023

The ugliness of discrimination is alive and well – and even applauded - in certain areas of our State. The truth of this saddens and angers me, as it should all reasonable people. While every one of us in this room surely believes that we would vehemently stand up against discrimination, it has been my personal experience that some actually believe discrimination is perfectly fine - when that discrimination is based in Political ideation. And when it is focused on people like me, who work in the firearms industry and who do business at events such as Gun Shows.

The firearms industry is safe, legal and highly regulated. Yet, Gun Shows, and the organizers and vendors of Gun Shows, are regularly shunned and discriminated against and treated as second-class citizens.

SB1428 stands in the gap and protects me and my family business from being arbitrarily singled out and told in so many words to “know my place” and “stay where I belong”. And allows us the same advantages as any other public event.

It is with full conviction for what is right and true that I stand against discrimination, and in support of SB1428, and ask you to do the same.