Month: April 2011

Uncategorized

Arizona Citizens Defense League Response To Brewer’s Veto

April 19, 2011 by 1 Comment

The AZ Citizens Defense League, the Arizona pro-gun rights organization, issued this response on their Facebook page to Gov. Jan Brewer’s veto of SB 1467.

SB 1467, the AzCDL-requested Campus Carry bill, was vetoed by Governor Brewer on April 18, 2011.

SB 1467 would simply have prevented the governing boards of colleges and universities from prohibiting the “lawful possession or carrying of a weapon on a public right-of-way.” That covers streets, sidewalks, etc. open to public use. Her press conference cited concerns about the lack of a definition of a “public right of way” that sounded suspiciously similar to the complaints of the anti-rights forces that have been bombarding the governor and urging her to veto the bill. Apparently, the fact that the term “public right of way” is used numerous times throughout Arizona law does not provide sufficient clarity, at least not when it comes to protecting the rights of the law abiding on our college and university campuses.

The anti-rights crowd has pulled out all the stops this year to prevent teachers, staff, and students in Arizona from having a safe learning environment. East Coast based national groups have beefed up their staff in Arizona. At the Capitol, they have spared no expense on lobbying, including holding a closed meeting with “freshmen” legislators in the House (AzCDL tried to attend but we were stopped at the door). On college and university campuses, they have conducted a series of fear-mongering indoctrination sessions, disguised as “forums,” to stop Campus Carry. Sadly, they have also exploited the victims of the January Tucson shooting tragedy in order to intimidate nervous legislators. Now, they appear to have succeeded in convincing an otherwise pro-rights governor to ensure that campuses remain safe havens for criminals and dangerous places for students.

Let’s make sure the governor doesn’t make any more mistakes because she listened to bad advice. SB 1201 is still awaiting action by the governor, and if we act now, we can make sure the anti-rights crowd isn’t the only voice heard.

SB 1201 is the AzCDL-requested bill that says that if a state or local government office (Public Establishment) is going to ban firearms, then security measures (metal detectors, armed guards, etc.) must be in place to ensure that no one is capable of bringing in a firearm without detection. Under current law, all that’s needed is a “No Firearms” sign and a place to lock up your firearm. This has had the perverse effect of disarming the law-abiding while allowing those with no respect for the law to remain armed at will.

It’s time to let the Governor know that you support the passage of SB 1201 and urge her to sign it into law.

Uncategorized

The New Head Of The Democratic National Committee On Guns

April 19, 2011 by 2 Comments

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) was selected to head the Democratic National Committee earlier this month. She will succeed former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine who plans to run for Sen. Jim Webb’s seat.

The choice to be head of the DNC came down to Wasserman Schultz and former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. Gov. Strickland was pro-gun and pro-life. As Doug Powers said about the choice on MichelleMalkin.com:

I didn’t believe it when I heard that the Democrats chose an anti gun control pro-lifer who’s opposed to the health care law to be the next head of the DNC, and sure enough, my disbelief has been totally confirmed.

UPDATE: The Hill has a full story on new DNC head Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and her anti-gun positions. I’m guessing she wants to remain in the Minority while serving in the House of Representatives given these comments.

“It is outrageous that gun buyers evade the background-check system every day, even in broad daylight,” Wasserman Schultz said Monday at a gun-reform rally in Miami sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

“While we likely cannot end all gun violence, we certainly can do much, much better,” she added. “We have laws on the books designed to keep guns out of the hands of those that should not have them. We just need to close the loopholes and improve the information available to law enforcement.”

Uncategorized

Gov. Jan Brewer Vetoes Campus Carry Bill In Arizona

April 19, 2011 by 3 Comments

FoxNews out of Phoenix and the AP are both reporting that Gov. Jan Brewer, the Republican Governor of Arizona, has vetoed SB 1467. This bill would have allowed concealed carry on public rights of way on university and community college campuses. The bill would not have allowed concealed carry in college buildings.

“This bill was very sloppily written and drafted, and I believe when it affects not only our education system, all the way from K-12 all the way through the university, and we can’t even find out a definition, what is a right of way? It just wasn’t defined to be able to tell the courts or the policeman how they are going to enforce a law like that,” Governor Brewer told us. (Fox News)

The bill was opposed by university presidents even though it had been gutted in the State Senate. The original bill would have allowed concealed carry in campus buildings. ABC 15 out of Phoenix said on this:

University presidents opposed the bill. They said allowing guns on campuses would endanger employees, students and visitors, and it would be difficult for officers responding to a shooting to quickly identify a wrongdoer.

There are no comments yet from gun rights organizations such as the Arizona Citizens Defense League nor the sponsors in the Arizona legislature. Surprisingly for the Brady Campaign and CSGV, they haven’t issued a press release crowing about Brewer’s veto…yet.

UPDATE: I have embedded Brewer’s veto message below. The chief sponsor of the bill, Sen. Ron Gould, R – Lake Havasu, was none too pleased by the veto nor the veto message.

Gould said he was surprised by the aggressive nature of the governor’s statement.

“I thought it was a very rude veto letter,” Gould said, adding that he thought “her spin on it … is a stretch.” He was referencing her remarks about how it could potentially affect K-12 schools.

The university presidents were all very pleased by Brewer’s veto.

Crow, University of Arizona President Robert Shelton and Northern Arizona University President John Haeger wrote a letter to the governor, asking her to veto the legislation.

Haeger on Monday said that if signed into law, the legislation would have had a “chilling effect” on the university’s intellectual climate. The veto helps protect the safety of faculty, staff and students.

“We are very grateful for the governor’s action,” he said. Crow and Shelton also released statements on Monday, thanking the governor for her veto.

Arizona Board of Regents Chairwoman Anne Mariucci expressed similar sentiments.
“Because of (the governor’s) veto, the universities can focus on their core mission of providing a high-quality education to students without the distraction of the increased opportunities for violence Senate Bill 1467 would have allowed.”

Chairwoman Anne Mariucci’s statement about “increased opportunities for violence” is utter bullshit but typical for what comes out of universities nowadays.

The Brady Campaign must keep banker’s hours because they haven’t responded yet. Ladd Everitt of CSGV who apparently has no social life didn’t waste much time in proclaiming the news on Twitter.

Great news from #Arizona tonight. Gov. Brewer vetoed insane #NRA guns on campus bill! #p2 #politics #congress #AZ http://fb.me/v0HTFNFJ

0418gun Veto
(function() { var scribd = document.createElement(“script”); scribd.type = “text/javascript”; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = “http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js”; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

Uncategorized

Connecticut Mag Ban Bill Dies In Committee

April 18, 2011 by 2 Comments

The proposed ban on magazines with greater than 10-round capacities, SB 1094, has essentially died in committee. As the Hartford Courant reports, the bill had to have passed out of committee by this past Friday to have been considered as a stand alone bill. That said, it could be added as an amendment to an existing bill in the future.

SB 1094 would not only have banned the sale of standard capacity magazines, it would have outlawed their possession and would have required owners to turn them into their local police departments within 90 days. Failure to turn in the magazines would have been a felony if the law had passed.

As reported a month ago, the bill attracted a lot of opposition with many people testifying before the Joint Judiciary Committee of the General Assembly. It also brought forth statements from some Connecticut mayors and police chiefs that were studies in willful ignorance.

Senator John Kissell, the ranking Republican on the committee, says that the number of people who took the time to testify against it was an important factor in it dying in committee.

To Kissel, the committee’s decision to let the proposal die proves that public opinion can affect public policy. “We’re always open to listening to our constituents,” he said. “When over 200 people are willing to spend 12 hours at a public hearing, it has a huge impact.”

There is no word yet if the bill’s sponsors will try to attach it as an amendment to another bill. For now, it is a loss for gun control advocates and Mayor Bloomberg’s Illegal Mayors.

Uncategorized

Bill Introduced In NC Senate To Protect Gun Rights During State Of Emergencies

April 17, 2011 by 2 Comments

Senators Doug Berger (D-Franklin) and Andrew Brock (R-Davie) have introduced S. 594 in the North Carolina Senate. The bill introduced on Thursday would allow the possession or transport of a weapon during a state of emergency. The bill would also prohibit the enactment of any directive, proclamation, or local ordinance that would the confiscation or seizure of legally owned and possessed firearms during any declared state of emergency. Finally, the bill would prohibit the imposition of “additional restrictions or prohibitions upon the possession, carrying, transportation, sale, purchase, storage, or use of otherwise lawfully possessed firearms, ammunition, or ammunition components.”

This bill goes to the heart of the restrictions on firearms contained in NCGS § 14-288 which are now being challenged in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina in Bateman et v. Perdue et al.

In what is obviously unintended timeliness, Central North Carolina was hit by very severe storms today including tornadoes. These storms are responsible for the deaths of 17 across four states including at least seven in North Carolina. The Raleigh News and Observer is reporting that three people were killed in a mobile home park in Raleigh, another three were killed in Bladen County, and one person was killed in Cumberland County.

Gov. Bev Perdue has not yet declared a state of emergency. She is reported to be out of state on personal business. However, Wake and Cumberland counties have both declared states of emergency as has the City of Fayetteville. The power of municipal and county governments to declare states of emergency is found in NCGS § 14-288.12 through 14-288.14.

Please keep the people of central North Carolina in your thoughts and prayers. Tornadoes are a rare occurrence in North Carolina and we aren’t prepared for them like residents of tornado alley with storm cellars and safe rooms. On a side note, a couple of well-known gun bloggers, Bob Owen (Confederate Yankee) and Sean Sorrentino (A NC Gun Blog) live in the Raleigh area.

UPDATE: The damage from the storm in terms of lives was much worse that I previously reported. The N&O is reporting 22 deaths from the tornadoes including 11 in Bertie County. Sean’s personal report on the storm is in the comments below.

Governor Perdue declared a state of emergency due to the storm and it can be found here. Executive Order No. 87 enacts the state of emergency under powers granted to the Governor under Chapter 166A of the North Carolina General Statutes. Unlike, declarations enacted under Chapter 36A, Section 14, this does not prohibit the possession of firearms.

The text of S. 594 is embedded below.

NC SB 594v1
(function() { var scribd = document.createElement(“script”); scribd.type = “text/javascript”; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = “http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js”; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

Uncategorized

HB 798: Anti-Bloomberg Bill Introduced In North Carolina General Assembly

April 17, 2011 by 3 Comments

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made news over the years by sending his private investigators to gun shows in Arizona and other states. While he portrays his efforts as preventing the flow of “illegal guns” into New York City, it can also be portrayed as an effort to encourage people to commit a felony.

HB 798 was introduced in the North Carolina House last week by Rep. Mark Hilton (R-Catawba). My reading of the bill is that if Bloomberg sent his investigators to North Carolina, then both they and he could be found guilty of a Class F felony for their actions. Other offenses that are Class F felonies in North Carolina include involuntary manslaughter, assault causing serious injury on a law enforcement officer, extortion, bribery, and, oh yes, incest. The average Class F sentence for a first offense is 13-16 months in prison according to sentencing guidelines.

I hope this bill passes and that Mayor Bloomberg sends his minions South. It’d be nice to see Mike picking up trash along the highways of North Carolina.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2011
H 1
HOUSE BILL 798

Short Title: Fraudulent Firearm Purchase Prevention Act.

(Public)

Sponsors: Representative Hilton (Primary Sponsor).
For a complete list of Sponsors, see Bill Information on the NCGA Web Site.

Referred to:
Judiciary.

April 7, 2011

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to Enact the Fraudulent firearm purchase prevention act.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as “The Fraudulent Firearm Purchase Prevention Act.”
SECTION 2. Article 53A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
“§ 14‑408.1. Solicit unlawful purchase of firearm; unlawful to provide materially false information regarding legality of firearm or ammunition transfer.
(a) The following definitions apply in this section:
(1) Ammunition. – Any cartridge, shell, or projectile designed for use in a firearm.
(2) Firearm. – A handgun, shotgun, or rifle which expels a projectile by action of an explosion.
(3) Handgun. – A pistol, revolver, or other gun that has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand.
(4) Licensed dealer. – A person who is licensed pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 923 to engage in the business of dealing in firearms.
(5) Materially false information. – Information that portrays an illegal transaction as legal or a legal transaction as illegal.
(6) Private seller. – A person who sells or offers for sale any firearm, as defined in G.S. 14‑409.39, or ammunition.
(b) Any person who knowingly solicits, persuades, encourages, or entices a licensed dealer or private seller of firearms or ammunition to transfer a firearm or ammunition under circumstances that the person knows would violate the laws of this State or the United States is guilty of a Class F felony.
(c) Any person who provides to a licensed dealer or private seller of firearms or ammunition information that the person knows to be materially false information with the intent to deceive the dealer or seller about the legality of a transfer of a firearm or ammunition is guilty of a Class F felony.
(d) Any person who willfully procures another to engage in conduct prohibited by this section shall be held accountable as a principal.
(e) This section does not apply to a law enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity or to a person acting at the direction of the law enforcement officer.”
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective December 1, 2011, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

Uncategorized

Two More Anti-Gun Measures Introduced In Congress

April 16, 2011 by 3 Comments

The anti-gun forces have been active this week in the U.S. House of Representatives. On Wedneday, Rep. Peter King (R-NY-4) introduced the House version of Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s bill that would ostensibly deny anyone suspected of being or giving aid to a terrorist the ability to purchase firearms or explosives.

On Thursday, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY-2) introduced HR 1552. The bill’s working title is ” To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the possession of a firearm by a person who is adjudicated to have committed a violent act while a juvenile.” The full text of this bill is not yet available so I don’t know if it only applies to felonies committed by a jevenile or all violent acts. Nor do I know just what is deemed a violent act.

Finally, on Friday, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-5) introduced HR 1642. This bill would “prevent the illegal sale of firearms.” Again, the text is not available yet. Therefore, I don’t know what is considered an “illegal sale of firearms”. Quigley is the Cook County Democrat who succeeded Rahm Emanuel in Congress when Emanuel became White House Chief of Staff. This is also the seat held by disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. I’d say this is quite the record for one Congressional seat.

Quigley’s bill has four co-sponsors – Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.(D-IL), Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). Rep. Steve Israel’s bill, HR 1552, has no co-sponsors.

When the text of the bills become available, I will post them. As it is, I don’t think any of them should make it out of committee.