States Act to Shield Permit-Holders: South Carolina last week became the
latest in a growing number of states to make the names of people who
have a license to carry a concealed weapon a state secret. Five other
states might not be far behind in a battle that pits a public policy of
open government against the right of people to keep their gun ownership
records private. Bills that would make concealed gun permit records
confidential have been introduced in eight other states this year -
Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee,
Virginia and West Virginia - according to Janna Goodwin of the National
Conference of State Legislatures.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-04-24-gunpermitrecords_N.htm
---
University of Colorado Students Petition for Campus Carry: If a gunman
were to burst into a classroom at the University of Colorado at Colorado
Springs with murder on his mind, one group of students wants a chance to
shoot back. But packing heat to class, even with a concealed carry
permit, is prohibited by University of Colorado system policy and cause
for expulsion. Now about a dozen students on the Colorado Springs campus
have joined a national and fast-growing group, Students for Concealed
Carry on Campus, whose goal is to lobby legislators and school
administrators to allow their handguns in class...Both Colorado College
and Pikes Peak Community College also ban guns regardless of permits,
but students at those campuses have not objected to the policies,
according to the schools.
http://media.www.bgnews.com/media/storage/paper883/news/2008/04/24/Campus/Univ-Of.Colorado.Students.Petition.To.pack.Heat.In.Class-3345882.shtml
Illinois Students Debate Campus Carry: "Students for Concealed Carry on
Campus" is a group pushing for at least a broader discussion of the
idea, and they're being heard right here in Chicago. You can walk into a
student union building hangout on the DePaul campus and you won't be far
away from a raging debate about safety, deterrence and the Second
Amendment. It's typical of what's happening elsewhere, as scared
students grapple with how to best protect themselves. And they're
willing to listen to those who propose something that would seem to be
anathema to most - more guns in classrooms.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6101847
..And in North Carolina: ...The SCCC is a national organization
asserting that these laws and policies "stack the odds in favor of
dangerous criminals and armed killers by disarming law abiding citizens
licensed to carry concealed handguns virtually everywhere else,"
according to the group's Web site, concealedcarry.org. Appalachian State
University does not have a campus chapter of SCCC, but Cameron Morrison,
a senior in management, is working to get a chapter started. He and
likeminded students have joined the national effort this week and will
be wearing empty holsters or T-shirts communicating their message
throughout the week...
http://www.wataugademocrat.com/2008/0421/0424Studentholsters.php
---
Confusing Cause and Effect?: States in the South and West with weak gun
laws and high rates of gun ownership lead the nation in overall firearm
death rates according to a new analysis issued today by the Violence
Policy Center (VPC) of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
data. The new VPC analysis uses 2005 data (the most recent available)
from the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The
analysis reveals that the five states with the highest per capita gun
death rates were Louisiana, Alaska, Montana, Tennessee, and Alabama.
Each of these states had a per capita gun death rate far exceeding the
national per capita gun death rate of 10.32 per 100,000. (What about
cities like DC and Chicago that have virtual prohibitions on firearm
ownership but extremely high homicide rates? How many of these deaths
were justifiable homicides or suicides? Might firearm ownership be
higher in some states because the underlying crime rate is higher?)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-24-2008/0004799853&EDATE=
---
Questionable Poll: Many adults in the United States believe a specific
kind of weapon should be forbidden, according to a poll by Knowledge
Networks released by the Associated Press and Yahoo. 55 per cent of
respondents support a law requiring a nationwide ban on semi-automatic
handguns, which automatically re-load every time they are fired. In
addition, 77 per cent of respondents think people in their community
should be allowed to keep handguns in their homes.
http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/30521/americans_back_ban_on_semi_automatic_guns
---
Controversial Dealer Offers Student Discount: The owner of an
Internet-based firearms store that sold a gun to Virginia Tech shooter
Seung-Hui Cho says he is now offering a discount for students who want
to carry guns on campus to protect themselves. The company, TGSCOM Inc.,
also sold two 9mm Glock magazines to Steven Kazmierczak, who killed five
people at Northern Illinois University earlier this year.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4713258&page=1
Thompson Visits Virginia Tech: The online weapons dealer who sold one of
the guns used in the Virginia Tech shootings visited the campus, a
decision the school's spokesman called "terribly offensive." Dealer Eric
Thompson spoke at the school Thursday night as part of a weeklong
demonstration in favor of allowing people to carry concealed weapons at
colleges... Thompson visited to support a chapter of Students for
Concealed Carry on Campus, which advocates weapons on campuses, but said
he paid his own way.
http://www.newsmax.com/us/virginia_tech_weapons/2008/04/25/90855.html
---
"Smart Guns" Near Reality: Still in the development stage, so-called
'smart guns' that fire only in the proper hands are close to becoming a
reality. The idea is to keep guns away from children who accidentally
fire them. The US National Safety Council reports that nine children
are killed every day from gun violence. VOA's Paul Sisco has today's
Searching for Solutions report...Once the technology is proven, and if
proposed legislation is passed in California, all new firearm models
will require smart gun biometric technology within 18 months after they
become commercially available.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-04-24-voa36.cfm
---
Oops, Wrong Apartment: Two men were shot, another arrested, after police
say the men attempted to rob an apartment on the city's near north side.
It happened just after 3 a.m. in the 4800 block of Park Forest Court.
Authorities say three black males went into the apartment with a
shotgun. Several shots were fired. However, it's the suspected robbers
who were injured. Two are being treated at the hospital this morning.
Police say their injuries are not life threatening.
http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8212965&nav=menu35_2
---
From AzCDL:
HB 2630, an AzCDL requested bill that reduces the penalty for carrying a
concealed weapon without a permit to a petty offense, passed the Senate
Final Read on April 23, 2008, by a vote of 17-10 with 3 Senators not
voting. It was transmitted to the Governor on April 24, 2008. HB 2630
passed the House on March 8, 2008 by a vote of 36-24.
HB 2630 reclassifies carrying a concealed weapon without a permit as a
petty offense, unless the violation occurs in the commission or
attempted commission of:
1. A "serious offense or violent crime" in which case the CCW
offense is a class 6 felony, or
2. Any other felony, in which case it's a class 1 misdemeanor.
In a nutshell, if you're a bad guy carrying a concealed weapon,
penalties have been stiffened. If you're a law-abiding citizen, it's a
petty offense.
Under current law, if you have not been issued a concealed weapons (CCW)
permit, it is a class 1 misdemeanor for anyone to carry a concealed
weapon. Everyone is treated like a hardened criminal. Sadly, because
of a couple of 1994 Appellate Court decisions:
� There is no clear, objective standard in statute that you can
rely on to determine if you are violating the law.
� 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.
HB 2630 separates the innocent mistake by law-abiding citizens from the
actions of hardcore criminals. HB 2630 even adds the "attempted
commission of a serious offense" language to the law, to assist law
enforcement in arresting the bad guys.
It is VERY important to contact the Governor and urge her to sign HB
2630 into law. You can use your own message, or you can use the
cut-and-paste message below. Her email address is
[email protected]. You
can also fax a letter to her at 602-542-1381.
Or you can mail it to her at the following address:
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Following the sample letter are instructions on how to post your
comments on the Governor's website.
Subject: Fight Crime - Please sign HB 2630
Governor Napolitano:
The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) has informed me that
important crime-fighting legislation, HB 2630, is awaiting your
signature. I urge you to sign HB 2630 into law.
Under HB 2630, if you are committing or attempting to commit a "serious
offense or violent crime" the penalty for carrying a concealed weapon
jumps from the current class 1 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony. For any
other felony, the penalty remains a class 1 misdemeanor. The penalty is
reduced to a petty offense ONLY for law-abiding citizens.
If you're a bad guy carrying a concealed weapon, penalties have been
stiffened. If you're a law-abiding citizen, it would be a petty
offense. Over 98% of Arizona citizens do not have concealed weapons
permits, largely because the Arizona Constitution protects the right to
"open carry." Unfortunately, because of a pair of 1994 Appellate Court
decisions, there is no clear, objective standard in statue that
law-abiding citizens can rely on to determine if we are breaking the
law. HB 2630 only reduces the penalty for law-abiding citizens
attempting to comply with a statute clouded by court decisions. However
HB 2630 INCREASES the penalty for criminals carrying concealed without a
permit. It even adds the "attempted commission" language to the law to
assist law enforcement in arresting those criminals who are intent on
committing a crime while carrying a weapon. It would not be logical to
veto a bill that increases the penalties against criminals simply
because it also lowers the penalties for law-abiding citizens.
Contrary to claims made by some opponents of HB 2630, reducing the
penalty for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit should NOT
result in a decrease of those seeking to get concealed weapons permits.
If relatively minor penalties led to the avoidance of permits, then why
do the overwhelming majority of Arizona citizens have driver's licenses,
when all they face is a court appearance and a fine for driving without
a license?
Again, I urge you to support sound public policy, and sign HB 2630 into law.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Street Address
City, AZ zip-code
telephone number
You can go to the Governor's website,
http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp,
where you will find a fill-in-the-blanks form to register your opinion.
For "subject", scroll down and select "Legislation." For "topic", fill
in "HB 2630."
You can add your own polite message urging her to sign HB 2630 in the
"message/comment" area, or you can use the cut-and-paste message above.
You can also call her office, toll free, using this number: 1-800-253-0883
Information on this and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website:
http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html
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.
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
