Georgia House Approves Expanded-Carry Bill: Georgians with concealed
weapons permits would have greater freedom in where they could carry
their guns under a bill that passed in the Legislature's final hours.
The legislation, backed by the National Rifle Association, permits
firearms in public transportation, many restaurants and state parks. It
would also allow employees to leave weapons in their car at work as long
the employer said it was OK. Supporters said the expanded rights would
only apply to those with permits, who are law-abiding citizens. Some
Democrats objected, arguing that it is easy to obtain a concealed
weapons permit in Georgia. The state does not require firearm safety
training, as some other states require...The original bill would have
also allowed guns in churches and public gatherings but that was
stripped in the final version that won passage...The bill now heads to
Gov. Sonny Perdue.

http://www.topix.net/content/ap/2008/04/gun-bill-passes-allowing-firearms-in-more-public-places
---

Florida Senate Close to Appriving Parking-Lot-Storage Bill: The Senate
is poised to give final approval next week to a bill allowing people
with permits to carry guns to work regardless of their employers'
wishes...The bill says private businesses cannot prevent customers or
employees who hold concealed weapons permits from bringing their guns
onto employers' property as long as the guns stay locked in cars. It
also grants several exemptions, including places such as schools
(although not child care centers or pre-schools), law enforcement
facilities and jails, airports and defense contractors. Sen. Dave
Aronberg, D-Greenacres, unsuccessfully proposed adding pharmacies as
another spot that should have a ban. Had his amendment been accepted, it
would have slowed the bill's progress.

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080404/NEWS01/80404001/1075
http://www.miamiherald.com/458/story/482288.html
---

Florida Students Seek Campus Carry: Bill Bunting expects more than 40
University of Central Florida students to attend his gun class Saturday.
In addition to a shared interest in guns, Bunting, chairman of the Pasco
County Republican Club's executive committee, agrees that college
students in Florida should be able to carry concealed handguns on campus
if they hold the proper permit. Under state law it is illegal to bring a
firearm onto a school campus. The students in Bunting's class are
members of UCF's Republican club; some also are members of the Knight
Rifle Association, a group of students who educate peers about Second
Amendment rights and other gun-related issues.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/04/pa-ucf-student-group-seeks-gun-rights/
---

Pennsylvania Students to Attend "Handgun Violence" Symposium: Students
in Clarion University's State and Local Government class will attend the
"National Symposium on Handgun Violence" at Duquesne University on April
9. The course is taught by Dr. Kevan Yenerall, associate professor of
political science. The historic symposium will address gun violence in
schools, in cities, and directed at public officials. (The only
obviously pro-RKBA panelist appears to be author and publisher Alan Korwin.)

http://news.clarion.edu/News/517.html
---

Oops, Wrong House: A southeast Houston homeowner shot a burglary suspect
Thursday afternoon after he was victimized twice in a week, officials
told KPRC Local 2...When the burglary suspect walked out of the garage
with bolt cutters, Williamson said he grabbed his shotgun. "He came to
the door and I went, 'Get on the ground. Get on the ground.' He got on
the ground and I told him, 'Do not move,'" he said. "I was shaking. I
had him on the ground with my shotgun and I told him, 'Do not move.' I
was even yelling. I fired one shot in the ground just to show him I
meant business." Williamson said he shot the man when he tried to run.
The burglary suspect was taken to Ben Taub Hospital with a gunshot
wound. His condition was not released. The District Attorney's Office
said charges would probably not be filed because Williamson was
protecting his property. (In most states deadly force is not justified
in defense of mere property.)

http://www.click2houston.com/news/15787233/detail.html
---

Oops, Wrong Store: A grand jury will decide whether a Houston
convenience store owner was justified when he fatally shot one of two
men who tried to rob his business late Thursday night, authorities said
today. Peter Quang Dan fired at two men as they fled his store in
southeast Houston, hitting one in the head, Houston Police said. The
man's name has not been released. Police said he and another man entered
the Colony Express Market at 2525 Broadway about 11 p.m. and robbed Dan,
who was behind the cash register. (In most states the use of deadly
force is no longer justified once the threat to the victim is over, such
as when robbers are fleeing the scene.)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5674012.html
---

Rule One Reminder: A rifle manufacturer asked arms dealers nationwide to
make extra safety inspections after discovering it had accidentally
shipped four guns loaded with live ammunition. Henry Repeating Arms, a
maker of lever-action rifles like ones used in the 1860s and 1870s, said
a thorough round of inventory checks revealed no other loaded
weapons...As a rule, firearms are distributed unloaded to prevent
potentially deadly accidents. Imperato said the company's mistake was
related to one of its quality control measures. Every gun made by Henry
Arms is test-fired before it is sold, a common practice in the industry.
The rifles are then supposed to be checked to make sure no rounds
remain, but Imperato said an error allowed a few guns to be distributed
still loaded for the test firing procedure. (Rule One: All firearms are
always loaded.)

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/233015
---

Rule Two, Rule Three Reminder: Portsmouth Police are investigating a
shooting incident in the 2200 block of King Street in that city, where
we're told a Portsmouth Sheriff's deputy accidentally shot another
deputy. The deputies were reportedly clearing a house to be boarded up
by the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Police say they
were there to make sure no one was inside doing drugs, for example.
Then, they were going to board up the house. At some point, one of the
deputies shot the other deputy. The bullet went through one of his legs
and hit the other. The wounded deputy got on his radio and called for
help. (Rule Two: Don't let the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared
to shoot. Rule Three: Keep your finger out of the trigger guard, up on
the frame, until your sights are on the target and you're prepared to fire.)

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=8093530&nav=menu45_2_2
---

Slain CHP Officers Memorialized: It was the 4 1/2 minutes that forever
changed the California Highway Patrol. Thirty-eight years ago today,
four CHP officers died in a fierce gunfight with a pair of heavily armed
motorists outside a Valencia coffee shop after a seemingly routine
traffic stop. On Friday, a five-mile stretch of Interstate 5 in Santa
Clarita that runs past the shooting scene was renamed in honor of the
dead officers as surviving family members and witnesses recalled what
generations of CHP officers know as the "Newhall Incident." (The Newhall
Incident is considered by many to have been the trigger for "street
survival" training in American law enforcement, which, in turn, has
provided a great deal of the basis for the tactical training for private
citizens.)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chp5apr05,0,4858880,full.story
---

NRA-ILA Alerts: Alerts for various states are posted on the NRA-ILA website.

http://www.nraila.org/GrassrootsAlerts/read.aspx
---

From AzCDL:

Information on these bills and other legislation that AzCDL is tracking
can be found at: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html .

On Monday, April 7, 2008, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear the
following important pro-rights bills that originated in the House:

HB 2389, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that it is permissible
to carry a weapon, without a CCW permit, visibly or concealed, anywhere
within a means of transportation, excluding public transit.

HB 2629, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display
of a firearm is justified.

HB 2634, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an
expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights
restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit.

Please take the time to send a polite note to the committee members
urging them to vote for HB 2389, HB 2629, and HB 2634.  Below are the
email addresses of the committee members in both semi-colon and comma
separation formats, along with a simple list of email addresses for
those who encounter email address formatting problems.  Use the list
that is compatible with your email software.

SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Semi-colon format:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Comma format:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

In other news, SB 1132, Senator Harper's "Restaurant Carry" bill, passed
out of the Senate on April 3, 2008, by a vote of 18-10 with 2 members
not voting, and has been transmitted to the House.  SB 1132 would permit
the carrying of firearms in certain restaurants provided signs are
posted permitting firearms and the person possessing the firearm does
not consume alcohol.

Stay tuned!  As relevant legislation 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.


We were expecting SB 1214, an AzCDL requested bill that would allow
adults with Concealed Weapons (CCW) permits to carry concealed firearms
on public college and university property, to be debated in the Senate
Committee of the Whole (COW) on Thursday, April 3, 2008.  However, the
Senate Republican leadership kept the bill off the calendar because the
votes weren't there to ensure passage, even with the amendment that
added storage requirements and an additional skills test for campus
carry permit holders.


Our last opportunity to get SB 1214 heard in the Senate COW will be
Monday, April 7, 2008.  If it doesn't get heard then, it is dead for
this session.  AzCDL's full-time, volunteer lobbyists, Dave Kopp
(President) and John Wentling (Vice-President), are haunting the Senate
hallways, meeting with every Senator they can find, and counting votes.
They found some Democrat Senators who may be willing to vote for SB
1214, along with a couple of their colleagues that could use a little
prodding.  But, sadly, the key hold-outs are a handful of Republicans.
It's time to let them know that we're not going to let them hide when it
comes to the safety of students.

The following Senators especially need to hear from you:

Senator Carolyn Allen
[email protected]
Room 303
602-926-4480 (phone)
602-417-3155 (Fax)
Senator Allen has indicated her opposition to SB 1214 from the beginning.

Senator Jake Flake
[email protected]
Room 307
602-626-5219 (phone)
602-417-3224 (Fax)
We're learning that Senator Flake doesn't want to support SB 1214.

Senator John Huppenthal
[email protected]
Room 212
602-926-5261 (phone)
602-417-3157 (Fax)
Senator Huppenthal has indicated that he will not support SB 1214.

Senator Tom O'Halleran
[email protected]
Room 303A
602-926-5584 (phone)
602-417-3101 (Fax)
The amendment was crafted to appease Senator O'Halleran.  He now has his
amendment, but should still be reminded to vote for SB 1214.

Senator Rebecca Rios
[email protected]
Room 310
602-926-5685 (phone)
602-417-3167 (Fax)
A typically pro-gun Democrat, who, unlike many of her colleagues, might
actually be persuaded to vote for SB 1214.

Senator Victor Soltero
[email protected]
Room 312
602-926-5342 (phone)
602-417-3169 (Fax)
Another Democrat who could be nudged with the right approach.

Senator Jay Tibshraeny
[email protected]
Room 306
602-926-4481 (phone)
602-417-3252 (Fax)
We're hearing that Senator Tibshraeny won't support SB 1214.

We strongly encourage you to contact these Senators and let them know
you expect them to vote for SB 1214 in the Senate COW and during Third
Read.  If they represent your district, be sure to remind them how their
abandonment of SB 1214 will affect your vote when they are up for
reelection.

It's always better to write your own letters, but we have provided a
sample letter for guidance.  Please be sure to always include your own
name, address, and phone number.  Following the letter are the email
addresses of the Senators grouped together in both semi-colon and comma
separated formats.  Use the format that is compatible with your email
software.


Dear Senator:

The Arizona Citizens Defense League has informed me that you are
considering voting against SB 1214, which would allow adults with
Concealed Weapons (CCW) permits to carry concealed firearms on public
college and university property.  It is unconscionable that you would
consider voting against a bill that would protect students from harm.

Voting for SB 1214 is the sensible thing to do.  Federal law already
provides an exception, for concealed weapons (CCW) permit holders, on
the restriction regarding the possession of firearms on school
property.  SB 1214 complies with Federal law by removing the current
restrictions on public college and university property.  Arizona law
requires that CCW permit holders be ADULTS over 21 years, who must
satisfy State mandated firearms training requirements, which include a
written and skills test, and undergo routine background checks by the
Department of Public Safety (DPS) to verify that they are the most
law-abiding of the citizenry.

SB 1214 does not involve political risk on your part.  "Campus Carry" is
a proven crime deterrent.  Since the fall of 2006, state law in Utah has
allowed licensed individuals to carry concealed handguns on the campuses
of all public colleges.  Also, concealed carry has been allowed for
several years at both Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO) and
Blue Ridge Community College (Weyers Cave, VA).  This has yet to result
in a single act of violence at any of these schools.

Opponents of SB 1214 will claim that law enforcement won't be able to
tell the difference between armed defenders and armed assailants when
they eventually arrive on the scene.  This has not been an issue with
concealed carry permit holders in other walks of life, for several
reasons.  First, real-world shootouts are typically localized and over
very quickly.  Police rarely encounter an ongoing shootout between
assailants and armed citizens.  Second, police are also trained to
expect both armed bad guys and armed good guys, from off-duty/undercover
police officers to armed citizens, in tactical scenarios.  Finally,
concealed weapon permit holders are trained to use their firearms for
self-defense, respond properly to a police presence, and not run through
buildings looking for bad guys.  The biggest distinction between the
armed assailants and the armed citizens is that the armed assailants
would be running around shooting unarmed victims.

Senator, if your son or daughter was faced with a choice of defending
themselves with a firearm, or trying to call 9-1-1, what would YOU tell
them to do?  Is a murdered student morally superior to one who can
forcefully stop her assailant?  A person being attacked is the real
"first responder."  Without any means of self-defense at their disposal,
they are easy targets for anyone willing to disregard the law.  This
easily corrected vulnerability could place them in a morgue, instead of
home with their families where they belong.  Is that what you would want
to happen to someone dear to you?

There is no rational alternative here.  SB 1214 must become the law in
Arizona.  Support SB 1214 in the Senate Committee of the Whole and vote
FOR the bill during Third Read.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
City, State, zip
telephone number


Semi-colon formatted email list:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]

Comma separate email list:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected]

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

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