Ray Chapman Has Died: Ray Chapman, the first world champion of the sport
of Practical Shooting and founder of the Chapman Academy of Practical
Shooting, died February 2, 2008, in a suburb of Austin TX. Many will
remember Ray for his development of a variation of the Weaver shooting
position in which the elbow of the shooting arm is fully extended and
pulled back into the shoulder by the flexion in the support arm, as
though it were a rifle stock. I routinely quote Ray for his saying,
"Speed is five-sixths smoothness."
---
Secret Service Agent In Truman Shootout Dies: Floyd M. Boring, a Secret
Service agent who guarded five presidents and took part in the gunfight
that foiled an attempt by Puerto Rican nationalists to assassinate
President Harry S. Truman, died Friday at his home in Silver Spring, Md.
He was 92...Mr. Boring later said that in addition to firing the shot
that grazed Mr. Collazo's head, he thought he had fired the bullet that
hit Mr. Collazo in the chest. But in their book "American Gunfight"
(Simon & Schuster, 2005), Stephen Hunter and John Bainbridge Jr. wrote
that the bullet may have been fired by a White House policeman, Joseph
Davidson, and ricocheted off an iron fence before hitting Mr. Collazo...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/us/07boring.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries&oref=slogin
---
What Have You Done For Heller?: I've made a few appeals now about
supporting Academics for the Second Amendment in their work to draft an
amicus brief on behalf of the Heller case. These good people have
devoted much labor that will benefit us all, yet their costs are far
from being covered. Who thinks it's fair that, in addition to doing all
the research, writing, and production work, costs such as additional
attorney fees, printing expenses, filing fees, travel and lodging
expenses, etc., ought to come out of their pockets as well?
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-have-you-done-for-heller.html
---
Ask Candidates To Sign Gun-Rights Pledge: The Second Amendment
Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
today are transmitting to each of the Republican and Democratic
presidential candidates the "2008 Presidential Gun Rights Pledge." In a
letter to the candidates, SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb and CCRKBA
Executive Director Mark A. Taff note, "It is not enough for a candidate
for this nation's highest political office to merely mouth 'support' for
the Second Amendment. Whoever occupies the presidency must be someone
who holds the Second Amendment to be as important to individual liberty
as all the other tenets of our Bill of Rights."
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/saf-ccrkba-ask-candidates-to-sign-2008-presidential-gun-rights,272285.shtml
---
GOA Speaks Out Against McCain: "John McCain has actively worked against
the Second Amendment and self-defense during his time in Congress. He
also has been a spokesman for gun grabbers during state initiative
campaigns," said the three top officers of Gun Owners of America -
Founder and Chairman Sen. H. L. Richardson (ret.), Vice-Chairman Tim
Macy and Executive Director Larry Pratt. "John McCain's so-called
'Straight Talk Express' will derail if he attempts to con gun owners
into thinking that he is really their man. If he had wanted the support
of gun owners, and conservatives in general, McCain should have thought
about that before chalking up his long string of unacceptable votes and
initiatives.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/gun-owners-wont-accept-mccain-and-conservatives-should-not-either,272177.shtml
---
South Dakota Campus-Carry Bill Moves To Senate: Students will be allowed
to carry firearms on public college campuses under a bill that passed,
63-3, on the House floor Feb. 4. House Bill 1261 is designed to give
college students their second amendment rights, according to the bill's
sponsor Rep. Thomas Brunner, R-Nisland...The bill now moves to the
Senate for approval.
http://media.www.sdsucollegian.com/media/storage/paper484/news/2008/02/06/News/House.Passes.Bill.Allowing.Guns.On.Campus-3192028.shtml
---
School Hunter-Safety Training Gains Traction In West Virginia: Sen.
Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming, said Tuesday he's not pandering to
pro-gun voters with a bill he's sponsoring to mandate hunter safety
classes in public schools (SB9). "I don't have to pander to the pro-gun
lobby. Look at my record," said Bailey, a candidate for secretary of
state. He said he has consistently received A+ ratings from the National
Rifle Association during his years in the state Senate...Education
Committee members advanced the bill Tuesday on a unanimous voice vote.
It goes to the Senate Finance Committee.
http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200802050635
---
Weak Restaurant-Carry Bill Clears Arizona Committee: With the state's
restaurants no longer opposed, a Senate panel agreed Wednesday to let
Arizonans carry their pistols into places where they eat lunch, even if
liquor is sold there. The 4-2 vote by the Senate Committee on Commerce
and Economic Development came after the bill was written so weapons
would be allowed only in restaurants where the owner or manager first
posts a sign specifically permitting patrons to be armed...Dave Kopp,
president of the Arizona Citizens Defense League, said the bill is now
unacceptable. He said weapons should be presumed allowed in restaurants
unless the owner posts the premises as a gun-free zone. But the change
that bothered Kopp was, in fact, what was needed to keep the measure
alive: Sen. Ken Cheuvront, D-Phoenix, who owns a wine-and-cheese bar,
said he believes few, if any, business owners will actually decide to
post signs to allow weapons, if for no other reason than how it might
affect their liability insurance...Before approving the measure, the
committee agreed to grant gun-carrying privileges to anyone legally
entitled to have a firearm. That means anyone without a criminal record,
as long as the gun is visible. By contrast, the original version of the
legislation limited the ability to bring guns into restaurants to those
who have a state permit to carry a concealed weapon.
http://www.azstarnet.com/news/224004
---
Oklahoma Appealing Parking-Lot-Storage Ruling: Oklahoma's Governor Brad
Henry and Attorney General Drew Edmondson are fighting for gun owners.
The state of Oklahoma is appealing a judge's decision that said the
state's law allowing legal gun owners to leave their firearms locked in
their car while at work conflicts with the federal OSHA law, and that's
good news. Oklahoma was one of the first states in the country to pass
such legislation, only to see it caught up in a legal fight that's
lasted for years...
http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=361
---
Montana Man Freed After Warning-Shot Incident: A Billings man who was
arrested after firing a pistol in a tavern parking lot has been released
from the county jail. Justin Swanz, 26, was freed about 10 hours after
his arrest early Tuesday when county prosecutors sent the case back to
police for further investigation. Chief Deputy County Attorney Mark
Murphy said he could not discuss details of the case, but Swanz claimed
in an interview Wednesday that he fired the pistol in
self-defense...Swanz told The Gazette on Wednesday that he fired once
into the air as six or seven men advanced on him in the parking lot
following a confrontation inside the bar. Swanz said he fired the Taurus
44 Special revolver once. (An attack by five or six men is definitely a
disparity of force that would justify the use of deadly force. Warning
shots, however are tricky. In addition to being unsure of where the
bullet will ultimately strike, if also diminished his supply of
ammunition, had the men not been dissuaded.)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/02/06/news/local/21-selfdefense.txt
---
From AzCDL:
HB 2389, which removes the reference to vehicles in ARS 13-3102
(misconduct involving weapons), will be heard in the House Judiciary
Committee on Thursday, February 7, 2008 (
http://www.azleg.gov/agendas/0207015486.pdf ).
Current law (ARS 13-3102.F) states that, without a concealed weapons
(CCW) permit, it is permissible to carry a weapon or weapons "...in a
case, holster, scabbard, pack or luggage that is carried within a means
of transportation or within a storage compartment, map pocket, trunk or
glove compartment of a means of transportation."
Unfortunately, in 1994 an Arizona Appellate court decision (State v.
Adams, 189 Ariz. 235, 941 P.2d) determined that "within a means of
transportation" meant it must be obvious under ordinary observation to
someone outside the vehicle that there is a weapon inside the vehicle.
This created conflicts interpreting the statute. As a result:
� Wearing a holstered firearm within a vehicle = concealed carry,
requiring a CCW permit. But, that same holstered firearm in a map
pocket, trunk or glove compartment, accessible by a vehicle's occupants,
does not require a CCW permit.
� Possessing a concealed weapons permit and a concealed weapon
puts other occupants in the vehicle, who do not possess a CCW permit, at
risk of arrest because of their proximity to your firearm. Yet, if that
same weapon were in a map pocket, trunk, or glove compartment accessible
by all the vehicle's occupants, no crime is committed.
The proposed language clarifies that it permissible to carry a weapon,
visibly or concealed, anywhere within a means of transportation.
Information on this and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website:
http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html
Please take the time to send a polite note to the committee members, and
let them know that you want them to vote HB 2389 out of committee with a
recommendation for passage by the full House. You can also use the
cut-and-paste letter below. Following the letter are email address
lists of the committee members in both semi-colon and comma separated
formats. Use the one that is compatible with your email software.
Subject: Support HB 2389
Dear Representative:
The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) has informed me that HB 2389
is being considered in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday,
February 7, 2008. I urge you to vote HB 2389 out of committee with a
recommendation for passage by the full House.
As written, current law (ARS 13-3102.F) allows a holstered or cased
weapon to be carried "within a means of transportation" or "within a
storage compartment, map pocket, trunk or glove compartment of a means
of transportation."
Unfortunately, in 1994 an Arizona Appellate court (State v. Adams, 189
Ariz. 235, 941 P.2d) determined that "within a means of transportation"
meant it must be obvious under ordinary observation to someone outside
the vehicle that there is a weapon inside the vehicle. This created
conflicts interpreting the statute. As a result:
� Wearing a holstered firearm within a vehicle can be considered
concealed carry, requiring a CCW permit. But, that same holstered
firearm in a map pocket, trunk or glove compartment, accessible by any
of the vehicle's occupants, does not require a CCW permit.
� Possessing a concealed weapons permit and being armed puts
other occupants in the vehicle, who do not possess a CCW permit, at risk
of arrest because of their proximity to the firearm. Yet, if that same
weapon were in a map pocket, trunk or glove compartment accessible by
all the vehicle's occupants, no crime is committed.
The proposed language clarifies that it permissible to carry a weapon,
visibly or concealed, anywhere within a means of transportation.
Again, I urge you to vote HB 2389 out of committee with a recommendation
for passage by the full House.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Street Address
City, AZ zip-code
telephone number
Please be sure to include your name, address, and phone number.
List of members' email addresses:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
As legislation progresses, we will keep you up to date via these Alerts
and at our website.
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 � 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.
Senator Karen Johnson has filed another pro-rights bill, SB 1400, which
says that if any government entity establishes a "gun-free" zone, they
are liable for damages resulting from criminal conduct if an individual
could have used a firearm in self-defense.
Senator Chuck Gray's optional lifetime CCW permit bill, SB 1106 was
heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 4, 2008. It passed
out of committee, with a recommendation for passage by the full Senate,
by a 4-1-2 vote. An amendment was added in committee stating that a
lifetime CCW permit must be identified as such on the permit.
SCR 1009, the bill banning lobbying by public agencies and local
governments, was heard in the Senate Government Committee on February 4,
2008, with no decision made. The bill is being held pending further review.
SB 1132, a weak "Restaurant Carry" bill, was scheduled for a hearing in
the Senate Commerce and Economic Development Committee on January 30,
2008. It has been rescheduled for February 6, 2008. Amendments have
been proposed to weaken an already weak bill. AzCDL has thus far been
unsuccessful in obtaining any significant improvements to SB 1132, and
can no longer support it.
HB 2222, Rep. Marian McClure's bill redefining open carry and clarifying
that a person can carry a concealed weapon without a CCW permit on
rented and leased property, was held by the House Homeland Security and
Property Rights Committee, at the request of the Rep. McClure. There is
a possibility that she will amend the bill to deal only with the
property rights aspects of carrying on property you own, lease or rent.
Stay tuned! As relevant legislation is introduced and progresses, we
will keep you up to date via these Alerts:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AZCDL_Alerts/
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 � 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights
reserved.
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
