Wyden co-sponsors bill to protect knife owners

Senators Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced legislation Wednesday to ensure that those traveling with a properly secured knife are not prosecuted under local or state laws which ban certain knives.

“Americans who are transporting a pocket knife shouldn’t have to worry that they will be arrested for just passing through,” said Enzi. “This is not theoretical, but a real problem. It is almost impossible for a citizen to be fully aware of the thousands of knife laws across the country. This bill would solve this issue.”

“This is a common-sense bill that respects state laws, ensures public safety and protects the rights of knife owners,” Wyden said. “It provides protections that don’t currently exist for knife owners traveling between places where knives are legal–as long as they keep that knife inaccessible on the trip.”

The Knife Owners Protection Act would provide safe harbor to Americans traveling with a knife where it is lawful for the knife to be possessed at both the points of origin and destination, so long as the knife is transported in a closed container.

The legislation is based on the Firearms Owner Protection Act of 1986, which provides the same protection to law-abiding gun owners.