NRA Touts Annual Meeting: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is
pleased to announce this year's Annual Meetings and Exhibits to be held
at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina from May
14-May 16... This year's Annual Meetings and Exhibits will have an
estimated 70,000 attendees, putting this on target to be one of the
largest and finest in NRA's 139-year history. Leading firearm
manufacturers will display the firearm industry's latest and greatest
products. Various hunting and shooting accessories and an extensive
private collection displayed by NRA-affiliated gun collector clubs will
fill acres of convention space. With approximately 400 exhibits, there
is guaranteed to be something for everyone...

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nras-annual-meetings--exhibits-2010-a-celebration-of-american-values-85212142.html

NRA Offers Free Membership to Active-Duty Military: The National Rifle
Association's connection to the military goes back well over a century.
Indeed, it was military men who founded the organization. Dismayed by
the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops, Union veterans Col.
William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed the National Rifle
Association in 1871. The primary goal of the association was to "promote
and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis," according to a
magazine editorial written by Church. Military veterans have played a
role in NRA ever since. They make up a significant part of NRA's
membership and Board of Directors. They shoot in NRA's competitive
matches and often become NRA-Certified Instructors to teach gun safety
and basic marksmanship. Because NRA deeply appreciates the sacrifices
you make while serving our country, we are honored to offer you a
complimentary one-year membership in the NRA as a token of our gratitude
and respect. Click here for more information on benefits of membership
and to take advantage of the offer: http://www.nra.org/supportourtroops/...

http://www.ammoland.com/2010/02/24/nra-offers-free-membership/
---

To Lobby the Supreme Court?: With the Supreme Court of the United States
scheduled to hear arguments in McDonald v. Chicago (the case of the City
of Chicago's handgun ban) next week, Mayor Daley is making the rounds in
Washington, D.C. to garner more support for the ban. Daley appeared at
the National Press Club along with a few other civic leaders from around
the nation who support such local bans to keep communities safe. Gun
rights advocates insist the ban violates Second Amendment rights. A
similar ban in D.C. was overturned in 2008. Said Mayor Daley, "In this
day and age when we think the right to bear arms in all of our
communities that means any type of weapon. I don't think our founding
fathers believed that these type of weapons would be on the street and
to me every jurisdiction have a right to talk about the health and
safety of their communities." Daley was joined by Chicago firefighter
Annette Nance-Holt, and her husband Chicago Police Officer Ronald Holt,
parents of Blair Holt, the teen shot and killed on board a CTA bus in
2007. The teen who killed Holt was sentenced to 100 years in prison last
summer while an accomplice received a 10-year sentence. (I doubt that
Daley has seriously studied what the Founders may have envisioned.
Private ownership of cannon, while not commonplace, due to their cost,
was not unusual in their time.)

http://chicagoist.com/2010/02/24/daley_does_dc_to_support_handgun_ba.php
---

Suit to Be Filed over Colorado Gun Ban: Terry Ryan, the lawyer for the
Windsor-based Rocky Mountain Gun Owner's club, said today he is filing a
lawsuit against Colorado State University after its governing board
voted unanimously Tuesday to ban guns from its two campuses. Affirming
promises made earlier this month at a small-caliber news conference (see
the video below), Ryan says, "I'm certain the policy is illegal, and
we're going to challenge that in court. I think that the board was wrong
for a lot of reasons. The board of governors doesn't even have the
authority to do it." But seeing as they seem to think they do have
authority, Colorado might just have a gun fight on the horizon...

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/02/as_csu_pulls_the_trigger_on_a.php
---

Pennsylvania Bill Would Reduce Restrictions on Permittees: Anyone
holding a gun permit would be allowed to carry a weapon into public
parks, most restaurants and other businesses under a bill that has
passed the state Senate. Senate Bill 2153 passed the Senate on a 48-3
vote earlier this month. It was sent to the state House and was assigned
to the Judiciary B Committee last week. It must also pass the House and
be signed into law by the governor. If the bill becomes law, it would
allow people holding concealed weapon permit the right to carry a
concealed firearm in parks, restaurants, etc. "The bill only applies to
people who have a gun permit," said state Sen. Merle Flowers of
Southaven, who authored the bill. "Concealed gun permit holders have
been cleared. They have to undergo background checks through the FBI and
other law enforcement agencies before they receive the permit." Flowers
added the bill also allows for any city or county which want to continue
the ban of concealed weapons in parks within their boundaries to do so...

http://www.neshobademocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=297&ArticleID=20495
---

Oregon Debates RKBA Restoration: Lawmakers scrambled Wednesday to fix
what they called a "mistake" in a bill from last year that vastly
broadened rights of convicted felons to obtain a license to own a gun in
Oregon. But opposition from the gun lobby quickly doused all but a
single tweak: Felons must make their requests to a Circuit Court judge
instead of a justice of the peace. Language in a 2009 bill inadvertently
changed state law to allow felons to apply to have their gun rights
restored, throwing out provisions that they had to be convicted of only
one felony that didn't involve a gun or a criminal homicide... Prozanski
dashed off an emergency bill that would restore earlier limits, but he
ran into a hail of opposition from gun lobbyists. They argued that the
current language is good because it allows people convicted of minor
felonies to get their rights to own a gun restored more quickly. "None
of us have any desire to arm murderers or rapists, I can assure you,"
said Kevin Starrett, executive director of the Oregon Firearms
Federation. But some people have been convicted of a gun-related felony
simply because they filled a form out wrong, Starrett said. "We should
be supporting the potential for redemption." ...

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/bill_makes_it_easier_for_viole.html
---

Missouri to Weigh CCW Reform: Citizens with permits to carry concealed
weapons would have to renew their permit every five years - instead of
three - under several legislative proposals being considered this year.
Seven bills filed in the House also would lower the age to get a
concealed carry weapon permit from 23 to 21. On Wednesday, the House
Agri-Business Committee held hearings on proposals dealing with
concealed weapons and self-defense. One bill that lowers the age for
carrying a concealed weapon also would expand the right to use deadly
force against any unlawful intruder on private property to any area of
the property outside of the home. The current law, known as the Castle
Doctrine, gives individuals the right to use deadly force against
intruders in their home... Parson's legislation would require permit
holders to take an online course during the third year of the five-year
period to learn any changes in law regarding firearms and CCW permits.
"The people who have conceal carry weapons are law-abiding citizens,"
said the former Polk County sheriff... The Second Amendment Coalition of
Missouri supports each of the bills, except Parson's, because of
requiring the online course, said Dale Schmid, president of the gun
rights group. "Any additional regulation of it, even if well-intended,
is going to end up with people not renewing properly." (To my knowledge,
it is still legal for a Missouri resident to carry in Missouri with an
out-of-state permit, an option preferred by many Missouri gun owners.)

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100225/NEWS01/2250367/Bills-propose-changes-to-Missouri-concealed-weapon-laws
---

CW Still an Issue in California Sheriff Race: Sheriff Sandra Hutchens
prompted guffaws from some Second Amendment stalwarts when she said at a
Feb. 9 candidate forum that she's approved 90 percent of applications
for concealed weapons permits. In fact, she's significantly tightened
distribution criteria. There are 22 percent fewer CCW permits than when
Hutchens was appointed to the job in 2008. And most permits she's
approved come with restrictions absent from permits issued by
predecessor Mike Carona. The issue is unlikely to determine the outcome
of this year's sheriff's election (while it could affect a close race, I
don't think this issue alone will make it close). But one challenger -
Bill Hunt - has made it a central campaign issue and the other
challenger - Craig Hunter - is also a critic of Hutchens' policy. Voters
for whom the permits are important are relatively few, but they are
passionate and they could help bring gun-rights dough to Hunt and
Hunter. Both challengers say they would be more lax in handing out the
permits. Hunt has said he'd grant requests from any adult with a clean
record and no obvious mental health issues, so long as they say they
need the weapon for "personal protection." ...

http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2010/02/24/hutchens-in-spotlight-over-concealed-weapons-permits/30745/
---

Oops, Wrong House: When Michael Allsop heard his bedroom window shatter,
police said, he ran into his bathroom and called 911. But when he saw
two hands reach into his house, he put down the phone and picked up his
9mm pistol. The 59-year-old homeowner opened fire Wednesday morning,
wounding a would-be burglar. The burglar ran away. Minutes later, a man
showed up at Bayfront Medical Center with two gunshot wounds. St.
Petersburg [FL] police said that's where they arrested Michael
Patterson, 30, on a charge of burglary of an occupied structure...
Allsop has had plenty of experience with burglars. Wednesday's break-in
was the sixth burglary reported at his home at 1926 Seminole Blvd. S in
the five years he's lived there, police records show. Allsop said he
heard a knock at the door about 9:40 a.m. but didn't answer it because
he wasn't expecting anyone. Then he heard the bedroom window shatter. He
fired three or four times when he saw the burglar trying to enter,
police said. It was the same window that was damaged when, police said,
three men tried to get into his house on the evening of Aug. 23...

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/police-st-petersburg-homeowner-shoots-would-be-burglar/1075550
http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m2d24-St-Petersburg-FL-homeowner-shoots-home-invader-in-self-defense
---


Oops, Wrong House - Media Bias: ...KPRC Houston reported that the
defender was asleep at home when Jackson broke in through a window.
Neighbors concluded that the deceased believed nobody was home because
the owner's truck wasn't parked outside, and was motivated by the fact
that the homeowner was in a band and may have owned expensive music
equipment... KPRC concluded with: "The case will be referred to a Harris
County grand jury without charges." This is a polite way of saying that
police and prosecutors believe the shooting was justified... Contrast
this with the terse announcement by the Houston Chronicle, which only
mentions the bare facts of the case: Jackson "forced his way into the
house," the homeowner "was awakened by the sounds and shot Jackson," and
that the grand jury was going to "look at the case." The Chronicle
conveniently left out two facts:

   * In Texas, grand jury review of a defensive shooting is standard
     procedure to avoid any hint of favoritism.
   * The shooting was considered justified...


http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m2d25-Recent-defensive-shooting-a-good-study-of-character
---

Another Reporter Gets a Carry Permit: ...I tested for the easiest North
Dakota permit to get, a class 2. And, oh, was it ever easy... The
two-hour test, all written, took place in a serviceable conference room
at Grand Forks' Hilton Garden Inn. I had found a certified testing
professional online and joined one of the dates he had scheduled.
Throughout the test he read a Tom Clancy novel. The only other tester
was my local mechanic... The test is open book and almost exclusively
true/false. It is required that test-takers score 100% correct. The
instructor will "advise" you about your answers. When I turned in my
test with two incorrect answers I was allowed to correct them; I scored
100%. The ND permit to carry test is a test if you consider that it only
tested the ability to show up at a predetermined destination at a
certain time. Other than that, it is not a "test" in the sense that it
could be used as a means of evaluating the abilities, aptitudes, skills
or performance of an individual's knowledge or proficiency with North
Dakota's conceal carry laws or firearms in general. I left knowing more
than I entered knowing but I would say, at best, the four-page test
assesses literacy... (This is a lengthy article, with a lot of debatable
material. Sauer's grudging admission that he left knowing more than he
did on entering is testimony to the instructional role of the test.
Being the enlightened citizen that he is, one would presume that he
would seek actual instruction in the operation of a firearm.)

http://www.theawl.com/2010/02/real-america-the-gunmen-among-us
---

More Detailed History: A few weeks ago, I linked to a picture of civil
rights activist John Salter being attacked by a mob during a lunch
counter sit-in during the 1960s. I also linked to a newspaper op-ed in
which Salter explained how he and other civil rights workers used
firearms for protection from Klansmen and other terrorists - when
Klansmen knew that a homicide would not be witnessed by the news media.
Since that blog post drew great interest from the readers, I thought
that some persons might be interested in the longer version of Salter's
history of the role of armed self-defense in the Civil Rights Movement...

http://volokh.com/2010/02/22/the-story-of-the-armed-community-organizers/
---

Palin Receives Personalized Rifle: Sarah Palin has another gun - a Henry
Big Boy .44 Magnum lever-action rifle, stamped with a unique serial
number: PALIN-001. Engraved with the words, "Presented to Sarah Palin,
February 16, 2010, Arkansas Republican Party," the rifle was a gift to
the former Alaska governor, who headlined a Republican Party fundraiser
last week at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. Palin made note of the
gift in the opening lines of her speech. "I scored a .44 Magnum. It's
beautiful, and I thank you," she told the crowd, as if the people of
Arkansas themselves had bored the barrel, carved the stock and engraved
the brass receiver. The man responsible for the donated rifle was a New
Jerseyite, Anthony Imperato, president of Henry Repeating Arms Company
in Bayonne (his family once operated an arms company in Jacksonville).
He presented the one-of-a-kind gun to Palin in a backstage ceremony
before her speech. There was at least one other gun in the building that
night. On one of the silent-auction tables flanking the speaker's dais,
past a photo of Ronald Reagan and a photo of Palin framed together and
titled "Voices of Conservatism," was another Henry rifle. It was exactly
like Palin's but with its own distinct serial number: GOP-001...

http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=9c7ddc9f-473b-4975-9e91-28a2ce0d9e17
---

Amazing!: On Feb. 8, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers
at the Tacoma Seaport seized a shipment of 30 machineguns (M-4 automatic
rifles) that arrived in a 40-foot ocean container on Oct. 20, 2009. The
shipment, shipped from a manufacturer in Taiwan, manifested only as
"Toys and Parts" and was valued at nearly $10,000. CBP officers targeted
the merchandise for an intensive examination and upon physical
inspection of the container, found the rifles. The rifles were of the
same size, weight and look of an M-4 automatic rifle - the weapon used
by the United States military. The rifles had no serial numbers on them,
as a genuine gun would, but also did not have an orange-blaze tip which
is required for all importations of toy guns. Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents responded to the warehouse
where the shipment was unloaded for CBP inspection, and took a sample
rifle for evaluation by the ATF Firearms Technology Branch. On Jan. 25,
the ATF sent a determination to CBP disclosing that in their imported
condition the rifles were tooled to shoot plastic balls. However,
replacement of internal components with original machinegun components
could be accomplished within a short period of time, thus rendering the
rifles capable of firing live ammunition. ATF lab results indicated the
rifle Airsoft M-4 copy [sic]. (Who knew that failure to place an orange
tip on an Airsoft gun would allow it to fire military ammunition. Or did
F Troop neglect to mention that they used a smaller caliber, such as .22
LR? Was any machining required to fit the M4 firing mechanism? I
recognize that replica guns are converted to fire live ammo and sold
illicitly in Britain but have not heard that it is occurring here. The
ATF Firearms Technology Branch has not exactly garnered a reputation for
objectivity.)

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/02242010.xml
---

Breast Implant May Have Saved Woman's Life: When a gunman stormed a Simi
Valley dental office last summer and shot Lydia Carranza in the chest,
salvation may have come in the shape of her size-D breast implant.
That's the theory at least of a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon who hopes
to drum up support to defray the costs of Carranza's reconstructive
surgery... The hospital where Carranza was treated is not prepared to
make that call... But Scott Reitz, a firearms instructor and
deadly-force expert witness with 30 years' experience in the LAPD, said
that, although he was not involved in the case, the scenario Ghavami
describes is entirely plausible. "Common sense would dictate that any
time you have something that interrupts the velocity of the projectile,
it would benefit the object it was trying to strike," he said. And
because a saline implant is like a high-pressure bag full of salt water,
it probably would provide more resistance than plain flesh, he said. "I
don't want to say a boob job is the equivalent of a bulletproof vest,"
he added. "So don't go getting breast enhancements as a means to deflect
a possible incoming bullet."... (Article mentions that the shooter used
a rifle but does not mention caliber - I suspect a .22 rimfire.)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-silicone-bullet25-2010feb25,0,1532754.story
---

Tangentially Related: It has not been a good week for the famed Miranda
warning at the hands of the Supreme Court. In decisions issued on
Tuesday and Wednesday, the Court ruled that confessions should be
admitted at trial even when police interviewed suspects in circumstances
that lower courts viewed as Miranda violations. The Court on Wednesday
issued Maryland v. Shatzer, establishing new, more permissive rules for
police who want to question a suspect for a second time after the
suspect invokes Miranda's right to remain silent. The Maryland case came
down a day after the justices decided Florida v. Powell, in which a 7-2
majority Court said that Florida's alternative wording of the Miranda
warning is acceptable, even though it does not explicitly state that a
suspect has a right to have a lawyer present during questioning...

http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202444467846&src=EMC-Email&et=editorial&bu=National%20Law%20Journal&pt=NLJ.com-%20Daily%20Headlines&cn=20100225NLJ&kw=%27Miranda%27%20dealt%20one-two%20punch%20by%20high%20court&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1

..Powell was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm after telling
police he bought the weapon "off the street" for $150 for his
protection. Before his confession, Powell signed a Miranda statement
that included the words, "You have the right to talk to a lawyer before
answering any of our questions. If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer,
one will be appointed for you without cost and before any questioning.
You have the right to use any of these rights at any time you want
during this interview." ... (Remember, if you are involved in a
self-defense incident, it is best to say no more than to identify
yourself as the victim of a life-threatening attack and, if applicable,
to point out witnesses and physical evidence before either can
disappear. It is better to spend a night in jail than to spend many
years in prison - wait for an attorney!)

http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/2008676-Supreme-Court-backs-police-on-questioning-subjects/
---

From AzCDL:

SB 1102, the Senate version of Constitutional Carry may have been
stalled by a few Senate Republicans "crossing the aisle" to vote with
Democrats to add the Cheuvront amendment, but that doesn't mean it's
"game over" for Constitutional Carry in Arizona.  We are working with
Senator Russell Pearce, the bill's sponsor, to find a way to move the
bill forward in its proper form. There is still hope for the Senate
version of the bill.

Even though the situation in the Senate remains tenuous, all is still
not lost.  AzCDL plans ahead!  At the beginning of this session,
identical versions of Constitutional Carry were introduced in both the
House and Senate.  The House version, HB 2347, was assigned to both the
Judiciary and Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS) committees.  HB
2347 passed out of the MAPS Committee on February 3, 2010, by a 5-2
vote.  Though it didn't seem to be moving in the House Judiciary
Committee, Chairman Adam Driggs assured us that he supported the bill,
and was only waiting to see that the concerns of stakeholders had been
addressed via negotiated amendments.  On Tuesday, February 23rd, true to
his word, Representative Driggs withdrew HB 2347 from the Judiciary
Committee.  It will now be scheduled for a review by the House Rules
Committee before heading to a floor debate in the Committee of the
Whole.  Please take a minute to thank Chairman Driggs for his support:
http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/158343 .

Amendments were made to the bills mainly to address law enforcement's
concerns, but the underlying restoration of the right to carry concealed
without a permit remains unchanged.  As a result, most rank and file law
enforcement organizations have dropped their opposition to the
Constitutional Carry bills.  The highlights of the current version of
these bills include:

- Eliminating the prohibition and penalties for law-abiding adults who
carry a concealed weapon without a permit in Arizona except in places,
like restaurants serving alcohol, where the law requires a CCW permit.

- Increasing the penalties for criminals who carry a concealed weapon in
the commission or attempted commission of a serious, violent, or major
felony crime.

- Requiring a person carrying a concealed weapon to notify a Law
Enforcement Officer, upon their request, that the person possesses a
concealed weapon.

- Adding more training options for obtaining a CCW permit.

- Eliminating the storage requirement for CCW permit holders who enter a
"non-secure" public building.

- Allowing LEOSA certified retired Law Enforcement Officers to carry on
school grounds.

- Requiring confiscated firearms to be sold to an appropriate retailer
rather than destroyed.

In other news, also on February 23rd, Representative Driggs released HB
2543, the House version of the firearms preemption bill, from his
committee.  HB 2543 passed out of the House Military Affairs and Public
Safety (MAPS) Committee on February 17th by a vote of 7-1 with a
recommendation for passage by the full House.

SB 1168, the Senate version of the firearms preemption bill, passed out
of the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 22nd by a vote of 4-3 with
a recommendation for passage by the full Senate.

Both firearms preemption bills will be reviewed in their respective
Rules Committees before proceeding to Committee of the Whole (COW) debates.

SB 1153, the knife preemption bill, passed in the Senate Third Read on
February 22, 2010 by a vote of 20-9 with one member not voting.  It has
been transmitted to the House.

On February 24, 2010, HCR 2008, which would, subject to voter approval,
establish a Constitutional right to hunt and fish, passed out of the
House MAPS Committee by a vote of 6-1 with one member voting present.

We received word that the Utah Firearms Freedom Act (SB 11) has passed
their legislature, and is awaiting the Governor's signature.  Sponsors
of the Arizona Firearms Freedom Act (HB 2307 & SB 1098) have asked us to
spread the word to encourage Utah Governor Gary Herbert to sign SB 11.
His numbers are (toll free) 800-705-2464 and (local) 801-538-1000.

Stay tuned!  When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via
these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL "tweets" from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news
as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL's Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook:
http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League
(AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots
organization.  Renew your membership today!
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

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

Copyright � 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights
reserved.

--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY

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

The tactics and skills to use a firearm
in self-defense don't come naturally
with the right to keep and bear arms.

http://www.spw-duf.info

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