NYC Lawsuits Likely To Proceed Despite Rebuke From BATFE: Legal analysts
expect the city to be able to proceed with civil lawsuits against 15 gun
dealers targeted by Mayor Bloomberg's out-of-state sting operations,
despite the Department of Justice's decision yesterday not to file
criminal charges against them.

http://www.nysun.com/article/48320
---

SAF Lauds Mayor Who Left Bloomberg Coalition: Anchorage, Alaska Mayor
Mark Begich announced his withdrawal from Bloomberg's "Mayors Against
Illegal Guns" in a letter to the Anchorage Daily News earlier this week.
While noting that he supports efforts to prosecute armed criminals,
Mayor Begich acknowledged, "upon further review of the coalition, it
appears they may have a different agenda than I anticipated."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-09-2007/0004524488&EDATE=
---

BATFE Agrees To Trace Guns In Germany: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced today that it has signed an
agreement with the German Federal Police (Bundeskriminalant or BKA) that
will allow the Germans to use ATF's eTrace system to electronically
trace crime guns seized in their country.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/02-09-2007/0004524541&EDATE=FRI+Feb+09+2007,+04:25+PM
---

ABA vs. NRA Over Guns In Parking Lots: The nation's largest lawyers
group is taking on the biggest gun rights organization over employers'
rights to bar workers from leaving guns in their cars while on the job.
The American Bar Association says the issue is workplace violence and
how to reduce it...

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/news/168554.php
http://www.weartv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/24c5f146-www.weartv.com.shtml
---

Tennessee Lawmakers Debate "Stand Your Ground": Representative Todd
wants to build on an existing law passed back in 1999.  In Tennessee you
can already use deadly force if there is reasonable belief your life is
in danger.  But Todd wants to broaden that law and close what he calls
loopholes.  Giving the citizen every bit of legal protection when, if
threatened, they can shoot to kill.

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=6060633
---

Stand-Your-Ground Legislation Threatened In Minnesota: "Castle Doctrine"
legislation, sponsored by State Representative Tony Cornish (R-24B)
would allow a person to use deadly force in and outside of their home
and vehicle and removes duty to retreat when outside of the home.  This
legislation provides criminal immunity when someone is justified in
using deadly force.  The House Public Safety and Civil Justice
Committee, which currently has the bill, may not even hear it because of
anti-gun members.

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=2607
---

West Virginia Senate Approves Partial Castle-Doctrine Bill:  By a
unanimous vote on Friday, the Senate approved a bill that protects
homeowners who shoot an intruder in self defense...An amendment to add
protection from lawsuits was rejected in a narrow vote.

http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=19839
---

Arizona Supreme Court Ruling Goes Against Fish: The Arizona Supreme
Court has ruled that a self-defense justification law friendly to
defendants wasn't retroactive to offenses committed before the law took
effect last April, but legislators are renewing efforts to help a hiker
convicted in a fatal trail shooting. Friday's ruling came four days
after a Senate committee endorsed new legislation to explicitly make the
2006 change retroactive to cases that were pending at the time.

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=6065586
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/168587
---

"Unspeak" And The Prohibition Of Firearms: William Tonso details how
prohibitionists have used emotionally loaded terms in place of logic in
their quest to incrementally ban privately owned firearms.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/tonso4.html
---

Vermont Store Owners Put Robbers On Notice: Some small store owners say
they are armed, waiting, and willing to shoot if they are targeted by a
gun-toting robber. It is the latest development in response to a
record-setting rash of armed robberies in Vermont since the new year
started.

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=6066315&nav=4QcS
---

From AzCDL:

On February 12, 2007 the Senate Judiciary committee will hear SB 1251 &
SB 1629.  The committee members need to hear from you now!

Information on these and other bills can be found at AzCDL's website:
http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html

SB 1251
Strengthens the "public establishment or event" storage requirements:
�        Defines "secure storage" and "readily accessible."
�        Prohibits recording information about the weapon or individual.
�        If "operator" doesn't comply, they can't prohibit weapons.
�        Exempts CCW permit holders from carry prohibitions except in
court houses, etc.

Since the new law became effective on 9/21/06, many of you have shared
anecdotal stories about storage lockers not being available; data being
recorded about you and your weapon; guns being tossed into boxes or
bags; and downright refusal to store your weapon.  It's time to go on
record to emphasize the need for SB 1251.

Due to objections from law enforcement, NRA, and others, we are
expecting an amendment to be offered in committee to remove the permit
holder exemption, and make a few other changes. We will monitor these
changes, and inform you if they turn the bill into something bad for gun
owners.

SB 1629
If you are not committing, or attempting to commit, a serious or violent
crime, SB 1629 reclassifies carrying a concealed weapon without a permit
as a petty offense.  Here is the exact wording of the proposed new
language for ARS 13-3102.K:

"Misconduct involving weapons under subsection A, paragraph 1 or 2 of
this section is a petty offense unless the violation occurs in the
commission or attempted commission of a serious offense as defined in
section 13-604 or a violent crime as defined in section 13-604.04, in
which case the offense is a class 1 misdemeanor."

Under current law, if you have not been issued a concealed weapons (CCW)
permit, it is a class 1 misdemeanor to carry a concealed weapon.
Everyone is treated like a hardened criminal.  Sadly, because of a
couple of 1994 Appellate Court decisions:

�        If a casual observer cannot easily see your firearm, you are
carrying concealed and could be arrested.
�        Wearing a gun in a vehicle = concealed carry.  Without a permit
you are subject to arrest.
�        Having a CCW permit and wearing a gun in a vehicle puts your
non-CCW permit passengers at risk for being arrested for carrying
concealed without a permit.
�        There is no clear objective standard in statute that you can
rely on to avoid violating the law.

SB 1629 separates the innocent mistake by otherwise law-abiding citizens
from the cold-blooded actions of hardcore criminals.  SB 1629 even adds
the "attempted commission of a serious offense" language to the law, to
assist law enforcement in determining who the bad guys are.

The passage of SB 1251 and SB 1629 will not be accomplished without
serious support and activism from YOU!

It is essential to contact the Senate Judiciary committee members,
strongly urging them to vote for SB 1251 and SB 1629.  Both these bills
are contentious issues and need all the support you can muster.
Comments on each bill should be sent separately.  The following are two
cut-and-paste letters that you can use.  One is for SB 1251 and the
other is for SB 1629.  After the letters are email lists of the
committee members.


Subject:  Vote YES on SB 1251

Dear Senator:

The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) has informed me that SB 1251
will be heard in the Senate Judiciary committee on Monday, February 12,
2007.  I urge you to vote SB 1251 out of committee with a recommendation
for passage by the full Senate.

SB 1251 clarifies the "public establishment or event" storage
requirements passed last year.  Compliance by State agencies and
municipalities has been uneven.  Storage lockers have not been
available; unauthorized record keeping about individuals carrying
weapons has taken place; and operators of some public establishments
have refused to comply with the law.  Storage polices need to be uniform
throughout the State and operators of public establishments need to have
clear guidelines in order to comply with the intent of the Legislature.

Again, I urge you to vote SB 1251 out of committee with a recommendation
for passage by the full Senate.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Street Address
City, AZ zip-code
(telephone number)


Subject:  Vote YES on SB 1629

Dear Senator:

The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) has informed me that SB 1629
will be heard in the Senate Judiciary committee on Monday, February 12,
2007.  I urge you to vote SB 1629 out of committee with a recommendation
for passage by the full Senate.

Under current law it is a class 1 misdemeanor to carry a concealed
weapon without a permit.  Because of 1994 Appellate Court decisions:

�        If a casual observer cannot easily see my firearm, I could be
arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.
�        Having a firearm in my vehicle puts my passengers at risk for
being arrested.
�        There is no clear objective standard in statute that I can rely
on to determine if I am violating the law.

SB 1629 only reduces the penalty for otherwise law-abiding citizens
attempting to comply with a statue clouded by court decisions.  SB 1629
retains the ability for law enforcement to arrest criminals.  SB 1629
even adds the "attempted commission of a serious offense" language to
the law, to assist law enforcement in determining who the bad guys are.

Again, I urge you to vote SB 1629 out of committee with a recommendation
for passage by the full Senate.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Street Address
City, AZ zip-code
(telephone number)

The following are email lists of the Senate Judiciary committee
members.  One list uses semi-colon separation and one uses comma
separation.  Use the format that meets the requirements of your email
software.

(semi-colon separation)
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

(comma separation)
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Please take the time to drop a note to the committee members indicating
that you support these bills, asking them to vote them out of committee
with a recommendation for passage by the full Senate, and please forward
this Alert widely to concerned gun owners.

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League
(AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots
organization.  Join today!

AzCDL - Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

Copyright � 2007 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights
reserved.

--
Stephen P. Wenger

Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.

http://www.spw-duf.info

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