Staff Reports
State lawmakers have quietly moved from chasing “ghost guns” to chasing the blueprints and the machines that can make them. What started as a targeted effort to curb untraceable firearms has morphed into bills that reach into your computer and your 3D printer. That’s not just about guns anymore — it’s about control over speech, tools and small business.
What just happened: laws that go upstream
Washington’s Legislature passed HB 2320 and Governor Bob Ferguson signed it into law. The law doesn’t just ban certain untraceable weapons — it explicitly brings “digital firearm manufacturing code” and 3‑D/CNC machines into the statute. Colorado’s governor signed HB 1144, which also criminalizes printing certain firearm parts and devices. California already widened liability with AB 1263 and is now pushing AB 2047, a bill that would require many 3‑D printers sold in the state to include state‑approved detection or blocking software. The pattern is clear: legislatures are regulating code and hardware, not just metal and wood.
Why conservatives — and anyone who values liberty — should care
This isn’t just about stopping bad actors. It’s about telling general‑purpose tools what they may and may not produce. 3‑D printers are manufacturing tools used by hobbyists, inventors, repair shops and small businesses. Forcing printers to run censorship algorithms creates a certification regime for what people can make and, by extension, what they can say and learn. If the state can demand that every printer block a certain file, what’s next? Printers that refuse to print protest signs, or routers that block political content? The slippery slope isn’t a theory — it’s a legislative strategy.
Free speech, innovation, and the courts
There’s a legal tug of war under all this. A recent federal appellate decision trimmed First Amendment protections for “purely functional” code, and lawmakers are using that ruling as cover. Digital‑rights groups have warned these laws invite “censorware” and choke off open ecosystems. Tech firms worry about impossible certification rules, and makerspaces and small manufacturers face compliance costs or outright lockout. Meanwhile, gun‑safety advocates cheer the end goal; conservatives should at least insist we don’t hand the state a blank check to micromanage software and tools across the economy.
What comes next and how to respond
Expect lawsuits and a messy patchwork of state rules. Courts will sort some of this out, but litigation takes time — and meanwhile new regulations can reshape markets and chill speech. The right response isn’t to defend every possible misuse of a tool; it’s to demand laws that target conduct, not the raw flow of ideas and the devices that enable innovation. Lawmakers can, and should, aim at criminals without giving bureaucrats the power to decide what your printer or your hard drive is allowed to contain. If conservatives want to protect both public safety and liberty, now is the time to push back loud and clear.
