Texas Bill Would End Gun Ban In Foster Homes: A new state rule prohibits
firearms in foster homes where severely emotionally disturbed or
mentally retarded children are living, but a Dallas-area lawmaker calls
the regulation unnecessary and has moved to overturn it.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/legislature/stories/DN-foster_06tex.ART.State.Edition1.4419675.html
---
Arizona Legislator May Attempt Narrower Version Of Self-Defense Bill:
The sponsor of a vetoed bill to help a hiker convicted in a trailside
shooting and others who claimed self defense says she hopes to revive
the idea with a new version that would affect fewer cases.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=6186746
Related Article On The Veto:
http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/frontpage_lead/story/27665
---
Parking-Lot-Storage Bill Resurrected In Florida: The NRA-backed bill (HB
1417) would make it illegal for businesses to prevent their employees
from keeping guns locked in their cars when they park at work. The
language in this year's legislation is somewhat different.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-nra0607mar06,0,2314510.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-state
---
Illinois Moves Closer To "AWB": A proposal to ban "assault weapons" is
advancing in the Illinois Senate, much to the dismay of "freedom-loving
Illinoisans," the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) warned on Tuesday.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200703/CUL20070307a.html
---
Car Dealers Weigh Arming Themselves: A car dealer in Ohio looks at a
recent article Used Car News that purports to examine the issues facing
dealers who are being confronted with a rising rate of armed robberies.
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article3579.html
---
Meanwhile, In Texas...: A Harris County Sheriff's Office reserve major
accidentally shot himself in the foot this afternoon while working at a
south Houston car dealership. Ronnie Shapiro was off duty and working at
Gay Pontiac in the 3300 block of the Gulf Freeway around 2:30 p.m. when
he reached into his pocket and accidentally discharged his weapon, said
Harris County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. John Martin. (That's why they make
pocket holsters.)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4607498.html
---
From The Firearms Coalition:
Gun-Voters,
The following is an alert from our friends at Virginia Citizens' Defense
League regarding firearms in National Parks. As we have reported, the
Park Service has a regulation forbidding the possession of "...any
weapon, trap, or net..." in any unit of the National Park Service (with
some exceptions in Alaska). VCDL filed a "Petition for Rule Making" to
force the NPS to change their policy regarding personal protection
firearms. The NPS recently rejected that petition based on four points:
Parks are safe places; "Right to carry" laws don't reduce crime;
Firearms can legally be transported through parks (unloaded,
disassembled, and locked in the trunk); and "Right to carry" laws do not
protect visitors from wildlife. They gave no supporting evidence for
these contentions just more unsupported contentions. I have made some
minor changes to the VCDL call to action and encourage everyone to take
immediate action on this issue.
We need to ZUMBO the National Park Service.
Yours for the Second Amendment,
Jeff Knox
**URGENT** **URGENT** **URGENT**
VCDL has just learned from our sources on Capitol Hill that the
Department of the Interior (DOI) is **livid** over the National Park
Service's (NPS) asinine rejection letter sent to VCDL concerning VCDL's
Petition for Rule Making!
(
http://www.vcdl.org/pdf/NPS_Denial_of_VCDL_PRM.pdf)
That petition would apply state and local laws regarding firearms carry
to National Parks within their borders so anyone legally carrying in the
state could also legally carry in the park.
Apparently the National Park Service DID NOT CLEAR that rejection letter
with their parent - the Department of the Interior!
The Department of Interior had been telling VCDL and key Congressional
members that DOI would seriously consider VCDL's petition.
The ensuing NPS rejection letter made DOI look like fools and liars. DOI
doesn't like that at all, and I don't blame them.
The word that I am hearing is that the Department of the Interior is
investigating how to OVERTURN that rejection letter and soon!!!
We have an incredible opportunity to save TWO years of work and pull off
a victory for all gun owners! But we must make our voices heard LOUD
AND CLEAR.
I need all of you to do the following FOUR things NOW and URGENTLY no
matter where you live, as this this is a NATIONAL effort:
********
1. CALL the DOI Legislative Affairs and leave a message for the
Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne.
Say something like this:
"I encourage Secretary Kempthorne to implement the Virginia Citizens
Defense League's Petition for Rule Making that the National Park Service
has rejected out-of-hand. Law-abiding citizens should not be forced to
disarm just because they choose to visit a National Park."
PLEASE MAKE THAT CALL - WE WANT DOI'S TELEPHONE LINE LIT UP BIG TIME!
Mr. Kempthorne's telephone number in Washington, DC is: 202-208-7351
********
2. Call your U.S. Senators and Congressman. Their names, phone numbers
and email addresses can be found by clicking here and entering your zip
and address:
http://capwiz.com/nra/officials/congress
Say something like this:
"Please have the Senator [Congressman] contact the Department of the
Interior's Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, and ask him to overturn the
National Park Service's rejection of the Virginia Citizens Defense
League's Petition for Rule Making. Law-abiding citizens in compliance
with state and local laws should not be forced to disarm in order to
visit a National Park!"
PLEASE MAKE THAT CALL - WE WANT CONGRESS' TELEPHONE LINES TO LIGHT UP AS
BRIGHTLY AS DOI'S!
********
3. After calling your Senators and Congressman, follow up with an email.
Here is a sample email you can use:
Please ask the Department of the Interior's Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne,
to overturn the National Park Service's arbitrary rejection of the
Virginia Citizens Defense League's Petition for Rule Making and to
implement that petition!
VCDL's Petition for Rule Making, representing over ONE MILLION gun
owners, would stop the Park Service practice of disarming law-abiding
citizens who choose to carry a handgun for self-defense, even though
these citizens are in compliance with all applicable state and local laws.
The National Park Service's rejection letter was not only asinine, but
was completely unfounded and condescending towards America's gun owners.
My family members and I are given but one life each. I ask that you
make sure that I can defend those lives while visiting a National Park!
Please let me know what you are going to do.
(Be sure to include contact information)
********
4. After calling and leaving a message for DOI, follow up with an email
to Secretary Kempthorne:
Email address:
[email protected]
Suggested email subject:
Please approve VCDL's Petition for Rule Making!
Suggested email text:
Dear Secretary Kempthorne,
I ask that you approve and implement the Virginia Citizens Defense
League's (VCDL) Petition for Rule Making that would preclude the
National Park Service from restricting the rights of law-abiding
citizens to carry a handgun for self-defense while in a National Park.
Citizens legally carrying self defense firearms in accordance with state
and local laws should not be forced to disarm just because they choose
to visit or pass through a unit of the National Park Service.
The National Park Service sent a rejection letter to VCDL listing four
unsubstantiated reasons for the rejection. None of the reasons listed
legitimately justifies denying a person the right to defend the only
life they have been given.
The Petition, representing over ONE MILLION gun owners, and the
rejection was capricious and unjustified.
Please let me know what the Department of the Interior is going to do
regarding this matter.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
********
OK, ladies and gentlemen - let's ROLL!
Please spread this alert far and wide! We need gun owners from all over
the country to make this happen!
***************************************************************************
VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL).
VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to
defending the human rights of all Virginians. The membership considers the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms to be an essential human right.
VCDL web page:
http://www.vcdl.org
***************************************************************************
---
From AzCDL:
SB 1629, which reduces the penalty for carrying a concealed weapon
without a permit for otherwise law-abiding citizens, is expected to be
put on the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) calendar within the next
day or two. It's important to tell the Senators that you want this bill
passed.
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.
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 arresting the bad guys.
The passage of SB 1629 will not be accomplished without serious support
and activism from YOU! Please send a letter to all the Senators urging
passage of SB 1629. Below is a cut-and-paste letter you may use or
modify. Following the letter are the email addresses of all the
Senators in both semi-colon and comma separated formats. Use the list
compatible with your email software.
Subject: Support SB 1629
Dear Senator:
The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) has informed me that SB 1629
will be heard in the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) very soon. I
urge you to vote FOR the passage of SB 1629.
Under current law it is a class 1 misdemeanor to carry a concealed
weapon without a permit. However, because of 1994 Appellate Court
decisions:
� There is no clear, objective standard in statute that I can
rely on to determine if I am violating the law.
� 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.
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 real criminals. SB
1629 even adds the "attempted commission of a serious offense" language
to the law to assist law enforcement in arresting those criminals who
are intent on committing a crime while carrying a weapon.
Again, I urge you to vote for SB 1629.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Street Address
City, AZ zip-code
(telephone number)
Senate email addresses in semi-colon format:
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected]; to'
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected]
Senate email addresses in comma format:
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected], to'
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]
We will keep you informed on the progress of SB 1629 and other important
legislation.
Information on this and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website:
http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html
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.
This is a follow-up on the Action Alert just sent about SB 1629 that
reduces the penalty for carrying concealed for otherwise law-abiding
citizens.
SB 1629 has been scheduled for the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW)
for tomorrow March 7th.
The time to contact the Senate is NOW!
We will keep you informed on the progress of SB 1629 and other important
legislation.
Information on this and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website:
http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html
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
