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Nebraska CCW Bill Includes Opt-Out Provision: If passed intact, Nebraska
law would permit individual cities to ban CCW, a strong likelihood for
the two largest cities in the state. (New Mexico once passed a CCW bill
with a similar provision, which was struck down as a violation of a
state constitutional ban on local regulation of the RKBA.)
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/03/10/local/doc4410eaa701162220479788.txt
Related Article:
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/2443032.html
---
Meanwhile, In Ohio...: One crucial provision left intact in HB 347, the
bill to reform Ohio's CCW law, is state pre-emption, eliminating the
right of cities to enact local restrictions on the carry of firearms.
http://www.ohioccw.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3629
Prohibitionist Commentary:
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060310/COLUMNIST13/603100318/-1/NEWS
---
Stand-Your-Ground Bill Clears New Hampshire Senate: Meanwhile, a similar
bill is stalled in the House. The governor has "expressed concern" over
changes in self-defense laws but has not stated if he would veto either
bill.
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060310/REPOSITORY/603100383/1037/NEWS04
---
Tennessee Bill Would Block Firearm Confiscation: Legislation amending
the governor's emergency powers, which currently allow the confiscation
of firearms and restrictions on the sale of ammunition during declared
emergencies, is closer to becoming law after Senate committee approval.
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_81735.asp
---
Controversy Surrounds Arrest Of RKBA Activist: Blog seeks to debunk some
of the allegations surrounding the arrest in Michigan of Angel Shamaya,
founder and former owner of KeepAndBearArms.com.
http://publicola.mu.nu/archives/2006/03/10/innocent_until_proven_gun_owner.html
---
Details On Newark Airport Arrest: Article explains the circumstances and
aftermath of the arrest of a Utah man at the Newark NJ airport for
illegal possession of a handgun and hollowpoint ammunition, due to an
airline foul-up with his luggage. The man is now pursuing a lawsuit for
$3 million in damages.
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3588120
---
City Council Candidate In Shootout: A candidate for city council in Mesa
AZ encountered some gang-bangers at oh-dark-hundred and followed their
vehicle. He came under fire with what turns out to have been a realistic
pellet pistol. A CWP instructor, Ready fired one round from his
revolver. His unharmed assailant is in custody.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=60807
---
Fake Weapons Can BE Hazardous - To Owners: Article discusses the risks
of misusing Airsoft guns, realistic replicas that fire plastic pellets.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/14061487.htm
---
Oops, Wrong Home; Oops, Wrong Time To Shoot: A Utah homeowner may face
criminal charges for firing at the getaway vehicle of a burglar he drove
out of his home at gunpoint.
http://www.abc4.com/local_news/local_headlines/story.aspx?content_id=19380C9C-6319-4D06-BD69-2F5D4EC44803
---
Adding Insult To Injury: Scottsdale AZ police arrested a man who
accidentally shot himself in the leg. He is charge with illegal
possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle, both felonies.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=60813
---
"Guns In The Workplace": An industrial-security journal opens debate
about the current wave of parking-lot bills and the broader topic of
weapons in the workplace.
http://www.csoonline.com/talkback/083105.html
---
Take Charge Of Your Own Safety: Article offers several tips, including
five ways to avoid danger. While the article fails to discuss armed
self-defense, readers should recall that the best way to win a fight is
to avoid it.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,187519,00.html
---
Canadian Registry May Be Factor In Gun Thefts: The lack of security of
Canada's firearm registry may have played a role in a spate of recent
thefts of firearms from collectors.
http://torontosun.com/News/Canada/2006/03/10/1481273-sun.html
---
From NRA-ILA:
NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert Vol. 13, No. 10 03/10/06
States with updates this issue: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois,
Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, South Dakota.
CALIFORNIA JUDGE DISMISSES SUIT
THANKS TO "PROTECTION OF LAWFUL COMMERCE IN ARMS ACT"
On Monday, Federal District Court Judge Audrey B. Collins used the
"Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" as the basis for dismissal
of a reckless "public-nuisance" lawsuit against firearm manufacturer
Glock and distributor RSR. In doing so, Judge Collins became the first
judge in the country to use the new law to counter the anti-gun lobby's
shameless attempts to hold the lawful firearm industry responsible for
the acts of criminals.
The suit sought to blame Glock and RSR for the horrendous criminal
actions of deranged white supremacist Buford Furrow. In 1999, Furrow
shot and killed postal worker Joseph Ileto, and wounded three children
at a Jewish Community Center in Grenada Hills, California, after
illegally acquiring firearms. What is not often reported is that, while
a Glock pistol was used in Furrow's heinous crime, the gun was
originally sold to a police department, which subsequently sold it to a
licensed dealer, who in turn sold it to a collector, who finally sold it
to Furrow. Glock is being targeted, but did nothing illegal, and RSR
never owned, sold, or possessed the firearm.
"It is fitting that this case was the first ever dismissed based on the
'Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act' because the facts made this
case the poster child for passage of common sense legal reform," said
Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the
National Shooting Sports Foundation.
SAME OLD SILLINESS, DIFFERENT YEAR--
Brady Campaign's Latest Annual "Grades" for State Gun Laws
Every year since 1997, the Brady Campaign, previously known as Handgun
Control, Inc., has "graded" the states on their gun laws. It released
its 2005 grades on March 9, 2006.
Brady's premise is simple. It supports gun prohibition and laws that
inch closer to gun prohibition, so it naturally believes there are not
enough gun laws. In the group's press release announcing its new
"grades," its chair, Sarah Brady, says, "we have done almost nothing, at
the state or Federal level, to make it harder for either a terrorist,
garden variety armed robber, or young person to get their hands on a
handgun." This is an incredible statement, given that the Brady Act,
for which the group claims credit, requires a criminal background check
on anyone who purchases a firearm from a firearm dealer, and given the
fact that there are many other federal and state gun laws.
Brady's approach to its "grades" is equally simple: the fewer a state's
restrictions on guns, the lower the grade, and conversely, more state
gun control laws equate to a higher grade. This year, Brady gives 32
states an "F" or "D" (10 "Fs" and 22 "Ds") and the average "grade" for
the 50 states is a "D+", about the same as in previous years.
However, there is no correlation between Brady's grades and violent
crime or firearm-related deaths. For example, six of the 10 states
Brady gives an "F", and 13 of the 22 states Brady gives a "D", have
violent crime rates below the national rate.
There is also no correlation between Brady's grades and trends in
violent crime or gun-related deaths. Since 1991, violent crime has
declined every year, 39% overall, to a 30-year low (and murder has
declined to a 39-year low), and since 1993 the firearm-related death
rate has decreased 32% among the whole population and decreased 63%
among children. Yet, as noted, Brady's grades are essentially unchanged
from year to year, mostly "Fs" and Ds".
PLAN TO ATTEND FREE MILWAUKEE GRASSROOTS WORKSHOP!
The NRA-ILA Grassroots Division will host a FREE Grassroots Workshop in
conjunction with NRA's Annual Meetings in Milwaukee. This Workshop has
been a regular part of NRA's Annual Meetings for a decade. At this
event, you will hear from NRA officers, staff, and your fellow NRA
members on what you can do in your own community to ensure victory for
the Second Amendment in this year's elections.
We will also discuss how you can work with your local Election Volunteer
Coordinator (EVC). Your EVC is a local NRA member who is working with
the various pro-gun campaigns in his area to provide critically-needed
volunteer support for a variety of activities, including: phone banks,
precinct walks, literature drops, voter registration drives, Get Out The
Vote & Election Day activities, etc. EVCs also promote NRA-ILA's
legislative agenda at the federal and state levels.
With the 2006 elections in full swing, it is critical that we start
implementing our grassroots battle plan to ensure we are ready to meet
these electoral challenges head on as Election Day 2006 approaches.
Rest assured, the anti-gunners are already re-doubling their efforts to
ensure the defeat of pro-Second Amendment candidates in critical
elections across the country, so we must ensure we are prepared to
defeat their efforts at every turn.
Workshop details are:
NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop-FREE!
Friday, May 19, 2006, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon
(Registration & free continental breakfast-8:00 - 9:00 a.m.)
Hilton Milwaukee City Center
Monarch Ballroom
509 W. Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203
To reserve your seat, or for more information, please call NRA-ILA at
(800) 392-VOTE (8683). You may also register on-line at
www.nraam.org/seminars/grassroots.asp. We hope to see you in Milwaukee
on Friday, May 19!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN MILWAUKEE!
Once again NRA is seeking volunteers to help at the 2006 NRA Annual
Meeting in Milwaukee, May 17-21. To a large degree, the success of each
year's NRA Annual Meeting is dependent on the contributions of our
volunteers. And you can be a part of that successful effort this year!
A number of volunteers are needed to help with set-up on Wednesday and
Thursday, May 17 and 18, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. During the actual
exhibit and meetings--Friday through Sunday--volunteers will work in the
NRA Store, at our Membership Services Booth, and at the Airgun Range.
There are a number of additional volunteer opportunities as well.
To volunteer or for more information, visit any of NRA's web sites or
the Annual Meeting site (www.nraam.org), or contact NRA Field
Representative, Scott Taetsch, at (262) 392-2716, or Dennis Eggers,
Central Region Director, at (270) 522-0909. Their respective e-mail
addresses are:
[email protected] and
[email protected].
NRA-ILA "MIX N' MINGLES"
How often do you get the opportunity to mix n' mingle with NRA-ILA
Headquarters staff and fellow NRA members in your community, to earn
FREE NRA items, and to assist with the efforts of candidates seeking
office in your area? Well, in preparation for the 2006 elections, you
will have the opportunity to do just that.
This election year, NRA-ILA will be hosting FREE NRA-ILA Mix N' Mingles
across the country. These events will provide NRA members with training
on what they can do locally to propel candidates to victory this
election season. The meetings also provide attendees the opportunity to
meet and socialize with lawmakers, candidates and their staffs, NRA-ILA
Headquarters staff, and fellow area NRA members-and to earn FREE NRA
fraternal items such as hats, pocketknives, buttons, etc. Mix N'
Mingles, including materials, food, beverages, and NRA items, are FREE!
Mix N' Mingle events are scheduled for:
- Lorain, OH -04/08/06
- Eau Claire, WI--05/23/06
- Ashland, WI--05/24/06
NRA members who have access to the Internet can go to
www.nraila.org/workshops/ to reserve their seats on-line. NRA members
are encouraged to check this website address frequently to see if any
upcoming Mix N' Mingles are scheduled in their area. NRA members may
also contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683)
for details and to reserve their seats.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
(***For all of the action items below, you can find contact information
for your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at
www.NRAILA.org. As always, thank you for your support.***)
States with updates this issue: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois,
Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, South Dakota.
CONNECTICUT
Unfortunately, the Connecticut General Assembly's Environment Committee
omitted important language when drafting Senate Bill 605. SB 605 allows
the Department of Environmental Protection to designate areas that would
be open to Sunday hunting on private property. As drafted, the bill
would regrettably apply only to bow hunters and would not include
individuals who hunt with firearms. NRA anticipated SB 605 would
include rifles and shotguns. Without an amendment, Sunday hunting in
Connecticut will not be open to individuals who hunt with rifles and
shotguns. SB 605 is scheduled to be heard on Friday, March 17. Please
call the Co-Chairmen of the Environment Committee, Senator Bill Finch
(D-22), at (800) 842-1420, and Representative Richard Roy (D-119), at
(800) 842-8267, and tell them you support expanding Sunday hunting
opportunities beyond bow hunting only. In addition, please plan on
attending what promises to be one of the largest ad most successful
Friends of NRA events in the country, on March 24, 2006, in
Southington. Limited edition firearms, knives, art prints, and other
collectibles will be offered for sale, at auction, or given away in
special drawings. 50% of the net proceeds from the event will go to
qualified projects in Connecticut, with the remaining 50% benefiting
national programs. The event will take place at the beautiful Aqua Turf
Restaurant on Mulberry Street, in Southington. It will start at 6:00
p.m., and will feature a delicious meal prepared by the Aqua Turf. For
tickets, directions, or more information, please call Chairman Ray
Hanley at (203) 264-4899.
DELAWARE
The Delaware General Assembly reconvenes on Tuesday, March 14, after a
six-week break for budget hearings. One of the first pieces of
legislation that will be considered is HB 359 (sponsored by
Representative Deborah Hudson (R-12), a "shall issue" Right-to-Carry
bill that gives law-abiding citizens the Right-to-Carry concealed
firearms for personal protection. Your lawmakers need to hear from
you. Please be sure to e-mail your legislators before Tuesday and ask
them to support HB 359. You can find your lawmaker's e-mail address by
visiting www.legis.state.de.us/Legislature.nsf?Open. Please be sure to
send an e-mail TODAY in support of HB 359!
ILLINOIS
Illinois will hold primary elections on Tuesday, March 21. NRA members
are encouraged to head to the polls and vote for those candidates who
support our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Please be sure to encourage
your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to do the same. You can
vote early starting February 27, and ending March 16. For a list of
early voting locations in your area, please contact your county election
official. Please visit
www.elections.state.il.us/VotingInformation/EarlyVotingLocations.aspx
for county election official contact information. For NRA-PVF
endorsement information, NRA members are encouraged to call the NRA-ILA
Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683). Further information will
be posted soon to the NRA-PVF website at www.NRAPVF.org. Be sure to
"Vote Freedom First!" on Tuesday, March 21!
KANSAS
On Monday morning, March 13, Senate Bill 418, "The Personal and Family
Protection Act," is scheduled for a vote in the Kansas House of
Representatives! This important legislation, sponsored by Senator Phil
Journey (R-26), will bring Kansans a step closer to having their right
to self-defense fully recognized. We are asking if you will take 10
minutes out of your day to do the following: First, call your State
Representative at (785) 296-2456 and ask him or her to support SB 418;
Second, start contacting Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) toll-free at
(877) 579-6757, local (785) 296-6240, via e-mail at
www.ksgovernor.org/comment.html, or fax (785) 368-8788, and respectfully
ask her to sign SB 418 when it reaches her desk. Spread the word to
your friends, family members, fellow firearm owners, and co-workers, and
ask them to help by contacting their State Representaive and Governor
Sebelius. The time has come for Kansans to be trusted to protect
themselves and their loved ones!
MISSISSIPPI
It is critical that you continue contacting your State Representatives
and urge them to VOTE TO CONCUR with the Senate amendments to HB 1141.
HB 1141 is the most significant piece of legislation to protect gun
owners and sportsmen in recent memory. It contains language: (1)
allowing hunting to continue on minimum-sized land tracts which are
annexed by a city or county (even if that locality bans the discharge of
firearms); (2) prohibiting local officials from confiscating
lawfully-possessed firearms during a natural disaster; and (3)
permitting employees, under certain circumstances, to transport and
store firearms in their locked, private vehicles while parked on
property controlled by their employer. Let your State Representatives
know that a vote to send the bill to a "conference committee" to work
out differences between the House and Senate versions is a vote to
defeat the bill. Please forward this alert to at least five oter gun
owners and sportsmen you know. For contact information for your State
Representatives in Jackson, please visit www.mississippi.gov.
NEBRASKA
Legislative Bill 454, the "Concealed Handgun Permit Act," sponsored by
Representative Jeanne Combs (I-32), passed Select File by a vote of
31-9, with 33 votes for cloture. Unfortunately, LB 454 will not come up
for final passage for a couple of weeks due to budget hearings. Please
continue contacting your State Senator and ask him or her to continue
supporting LB 454 and to trust the law-abiding citizens of Nebraska!
Due to the overwhelming number of phone calls to the phone number
normally listed as the contact number, the Nebraska Legislature has
respectfully requested we ask our dedicated members to please call your
specific State Senator. If you know your State Senator's name, please
use the following link to find his or her phone number
www.unicam.state.ne.us/senators/distlist.pdf. If you need help
identifying your State Senator is please cal the NRA-ILA Grassroots
Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), or visit www.NRAILA.org.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Senate Bill 318, sponsored by State Senator Peter E. Bragdon, (R-11,
Milford), passed by a narrow margin this week in the Senate and is now
headed to the House. SB 318 says if a criminal breaks into your home,
your occupied vehicle, or your place of business, you may presume he is
there to do bodily harm, and therefore, you may use necessary force
against him. The bill removes the "duty to retreat" if you are attacked
in any place you have a legal right to be and it provides protection
from criminal prosecution and civil litigation for those who defend
themselves from criminal attack. A special "thank you" to the members
of the Gun Owners of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Firearm Coalition, and
members of the National Rifle Association who made this happen. Senate
Bill 318 must now pass the House. Please Contact your House Member at
(603) 271-2548 and urge him or her to support this legislation.
OHIO
HB 347, introduced by Representative Jim Aslanides (R-94), passed the
Ohio House yesterday by a vote of 76-19. This legislation addresses
several problems associated with the enactment of House Bill 12,
"Right-to-Carry" legislation, that became law in 2004. This bill would
streamline an already successful law, bringing clarity for Ohioans and
law enforcement alike. This important piece of legislation would do the
following for Ohioans: (1) create a clear definition of "plain sight" in
a motor vehicle; (2) allow for off-duty law enforcement officers to
carry a concealed firearm 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (a.k.a. 24/7
provision); and (3) create statewide preemption for the regulation of
firearms and ammunition, therefore avoiding the patchwork of laws
currently on the books in Ohio. Please call your state Senator at (614)
466-4900 and respectfully ask him or her to support of HB 347.
PENNSYLVANIA
Several Pennsylvania Sportsmen's organizations will be holding a "Right
to Keep and Bear Arms" Press Conference Tuesday, March 14, from
9:00-11:00 a.m., on the steps of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. This event will launch the introduction of several
pro-gun measures, including legislation based on the traditional "Castle
Doctrine," which removes the "duty to retreat" if you are attacked in
any place you have a legal right to be while granting protection from
criminal prosecution and civil litigation for those who defend
themselves from criminal attack. The Allegheny County Sportsmen's
League (www.acslpa.org), in conjunction with the Pennsylvania
Sportsmen's Association, the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's
Clubs (www.pfsc.org), and other concened Pennsylvania grassroots gun and
sportsmen organizations have cooperated in organizing this event. For
Information, please contact Kim Stolfer, by phone at (412) 221-3346, or
by e-mail at
[email protected]. Also, State Representative Dwight Evans
(D-203), this week was joined by Philadelphia City Council members
Darrell Clarke and Donna Reed Miller in announcing House Bill 2483,
legislation to gut state preemption and allow local control or
regulation firearms. Speaking in the Council Caucus Room at City Hall,
Evans stated that his bill would provide local governments the option of
approving an ordinance regulating such topics as: restricting areas
where firearms may be discharged; limiting or prohibiting possession in
areas of municipal or county parks or recreational areas or other
publicly-owned grounds; regulating the brandishing of firearms or the
manner by which a person may carry a firearm; regulating firearms in
times of insurrection or civil unres; regulating pellet guns; regulating
pawn or secondhand shops; "limiting the ownership, possession, transfer
or transportation of assault weapons within the city limits; requiring
background checks or waiting periods on the purchase of firearms in
addition to that required by state law; and, limiting the amount of
firearms that may be purchased in a specific period of time or making it
unlawful for a person who is not a licensed firearms dealer to purchase
more than one handgun with any 30-day period." Please call your state
Representative at (717) 787-2372 and respectfully ask him or her to
oppose this restrictive legislation.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Next Wednesday, March 15, the House Judiciary Committee's Criminal Laws
Subcommittee will have a public hearing on H 4473, introduced by
Representative Catherine Ceips (R-124). This legislation will establish
an expedited process for issuing an emergency Right-to-Carry (RTC)
permit to victims of domestic violence. H 4473 will also require
victims be notified of this personal protection option if their request
for an order of protection is granted, and will ensure that, should a
domestic violence victim obtain an emergency RTC permit, that victim's
personal information cannot be released unless for the purpose of an
official police investigation. This will prevent abusers from tracking
down their victims by exploiting the current system that allows easy
access to personal information regarding RTC permit holders. This
hearing will be held Wednesday, March 15, at 2:30 p.m. in the Blatt
Building in Columbia. Please make plans to atten this hearing in support of
H 4473. If you cannot attend, please be sure to contact members of the
subcommittee and urge them to support H 4473. To find out in which room
the hearing will be held, please call the House Judiciary Committee
information line at (803) 734-3120.
SOUTH DAKOTA
House Bill 1199, sponsored by Representative Margaret Gillespie (D-16),
was signed by Governor Mike Rounds (R), on Friday, March 3. HB 1199
will protect law-abiding South Dakota citizens by prohibiting the
release of information concerning applicants and current permit holders
to any person, and prohibits any lists or records of privately-owned
firearms to be kept. In addition, HB 1134, "Citizens Right to
Self-Defense" legislation, which removes the "duty to retreat" when a
citizen is faced with attack in a place that he or she has a right to
be, was signed by Governor Rounds on Friday, February, 17. Please
contact Governor Rounds at (605) 773-3212 and thank him for protecting
the citizens of South Dakota by signing HB 1199 and HB 1134.
---
Legislation Protecting Arizona's Law-Abiding Citizens is on the Move!
Senate Bill 1145, the "Castle Doctrine" sponsored by Senator Timothy Bee
(R-30), passed the full Senate this week with a strong bi-partisan vote
of 28-0. In addition to codifying the "Castle Doctrine," this
critically important legislation returns the "Burden of Proof" in
self-defense cases to the state, which corrects the current
"guilty-until-you-prove-your-innocence" standard.
Arizona is one of only two states in the country that places the burden
of proof in self-defense cases on the citizen instead of the state. In
Arizona, the county prosecutor decides justification of self-defense.
This is simply wrong and must be corrected this year before more abuses
occur!
SB 1145 now moves to the House of Representatives. County attorneys are
working hard to maintain this unfair standard because it makes their
jobs much easier. Your voice must be heard! Please call your two State
Representatives at (800) 352-8404 and request that they support SB 1145
in the House.
House Bill 2076, sponsored by Representative Chuck Gray (R-19), passed
the full House by a vote of 38-21. This legislation will compel state
and local governments to comply with the 2000 statutory requirement to
store firearms for citizens when they prohibit firearm possession on
their property. Many government entities have refused to comply with
this requirement. The bill now moves to the Senate for its
consideration. Please call your State Senator at (800) 352-8404 and ask
him or her to support HB 2076.
Senate Bill 1425, Emergency Powers; Gun Owner Protection, sponsored by
Senator Dean Martin (R-06) passed the full Senate by a vote of 25-3.
This legislation strictly prohibits the government from further
restricting the citizens' Right to Keep and Bear Arms during a state of
emergency, therefore ensuring that law-abiding citizens have the
necessary means to protect themselves and their families, and their
property if the need should arise. The bill now moves to the House of
Representatives. Please contact your two Representatives at (800)
352-8404 and ask that they support SB 1425.
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
