Now that Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) has signed Colorado HB 1224 which now bans magazines with a capacity – or the ability to be readily converted – of over 15 rounds, the gun prohibitionists at Mayor Bloomberg’s Illegal Mayors are crowing. I guess they feel they got their money’s worth.
Would that these gun prohibitionists cared so much about the lives and jobs of the employees of Magpul and their suppliers that will be leaving Colorado.
Sheriff John Cooke of Weld County, Colorado has been out front in his opposition to the new gun control laws in that state. He led a delegation of sheriffs in testifying against the bills before the Colorado legislature earlier this month. Now he has announced that he doesn’t plan to enforce the new laws – and he is within the letter of the law.
“Why put the effort into enforcing a law that is unenforceable?” Cooke told The Denver Post on Monday. “With all of the other crimes that are going on, I don’t have the manpower, the resources or the desire to enforce laws like that.”
Cooke said this is the first time in his law enforcement career that he has made the decision to not enforce a law.
However, Cooke said, if a person who uses a gun outfitted with a magazine able to hold more than 15 rounds in a crime, that person will be charged under the new law.
Both Dave Kopel, a professor at the University of Denver law school, and Richard Collins, a professor at the University of Colorado law school, agree that it is within a sheriff’s prerogative to decide which laws are given priority for enforcement.
From Dave Kopel:
“His primary obligation is to obey the U.S. Constitution and the Colorado Constitution, and he appears to be especially conscientious in making sure he does so,” Kopel said.
While it may be one of the first instances related to gun-control measures, sheriffs in the past have refused to uphold laws they did not agree with, such as prohibition, Jim Crow and immigration, Kopel said.
From Richard Collins:
“He couldn’t be punished for not upholding these laws, but he could be ordered by the court to uphold them,” said Richard Collins, a University of Colorado at Boulder law professor. “Whether anyone would bring a lawsuit to get the court to order him is pretty uncertain.”
Given that Sheriff Cooke is one of the 62 elected (out of 64 total) sheriffs in Colorado, Kopel noted that the primary penalty for noncompliance would be either a recall or to be voted out of office so long as he is faithful to both the US and Colorado constitution.
Of course this just galls the gun prohibitionists in the Colorado legislature.
State Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, Senate sponsor of the universal-background-checks bill, said a sheriff unwilling or unable to fulfill the duties of the position should step down.
“They are putting politics above their job,” she said.
That last statement is particularly rich coming from the likes of Sen. Carroll who has her eyes set on the governor’s office.
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The Crossroads of the West Gun Show was held in Sacramento this past weekend. The local CBS station, Channel 13, sent a reporter out to the show held at Cal Expo for a report.
From the looks of things, these people were not just buying a few boxes. Anytime you need a handcart to move your ammo, that’s a lot!
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A spokesman for Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) announced that the governor will sign Colorado’s magazine ban – HB 1224 – on Wednesday. In response, Magpul Industries released this statement and reiterated their plans to leave the state if the bill was signed.
Apparently Gov Hickenlooper has announced that he will sign HB 1224 on Wednesday. We were asked for our reaction, and here is what we said:We have said all along that based on the legal problems and uncertainties in the bill, as well as general principle, we will have no choice but to leave if the Governor signs this into law. We will start our transition out of the state almost immediately, and we will prioritize moving magazine manufacturing operations first. We expect the first PMAGs to be made outside CO within 30 days of the signing, with the rest to follow in phases. We will likely become a multi-state operation as a result of this move, and not all locations have been selected. We have made some initial contacts and evaluated a list of new potential locations for additional manufacturing and the new company headquarters, and we will begin talks with various state representatives in earnest if the Governor indeed signs this legislation. Although we are agile for a company of our size, it is still a significant footprint, and we will perform this move in a manner that is best for the company and our employees.
It is disappointing to us that money and a social agenda from outside the state have apparently penetrated the American West to control our legislature and Governor, but we feel confident that Colorado residents can still take the state back through recalls, ballot initiatives, and the 2014 election to undo these wrongs against responsible Citizens.
Magpul had their outside legal counsel analyze the bill. They have sent this analysis to Gov. Hickenlooper along with a request that he veto the bill. Unfortunately, it is apparent that Gov. Hickenlooper is more interested in pleasing V-P Joe Biden and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg than in keeping jobs in Colorado.
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I came across this video on YouTube this morning. It shows a guy opening a Sentry home safe that he bought at a yard sale for 75 cents. His method was a bit unusual and, given the price of ammo, expensive. For you see, he used his CZ 550 FS in 9.3×62 Mauser. Checking the price of ammo for this African big game rifle, it ain’t cheap! Hornady lists it for $70 a box (though you can find it cheaper if you look).
The guy took four shots at the safe. That’s $14 to open a 75 cent safe! I won’t even get into the possibly valuable documents he ruined by shooting the safe. I’m sure it was fun to open the safe that way but if it were me, I might have used an angle grinder to cut it open.
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The Illinois State Rifle Association reports that vote on a magazine ban will come up today in the Illinois State House. It will come as Amendment 12 to HB 1156.
This amendment would make it illegal to “to knowingly deliver, sell, receive, transfer, purchase, or cause to be delivered, sold, received, transferred, purchased, or possessed a large capacity ammunition feeding device.” A “large capacity ammunition feeding device” is defined as a magazine, etc., that could hold more than 10 rounds. Tubular-fed rimfire rifles and lever action rifles would be exempted from this definition.
Of course, this amendment contains exemptions for those thought to have a higher need to possess a “large capacity ammunition feeding device”. Those include cops, the military, and Hollywood. It also contains a provision that would allow the manufacture of magazines so long as it was for cops, the military, and Hollywood. Under the amendment, manufacturers could also make magazines for sale out of state. I call this the “merchant of death” provision given the proponents of this amendment consider these magazines much too deadly for Illinois residents to possess but don’t give a big rat’s ass what happens outside the friendly confines of the Prairie State.
Read the ISRA alert below and act accordingly.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and his gun-grabber pals have just reintroduced their magazine ban as Amendment 12 to HB1156.
THIS MAGAZINE BAN WILL BE UP FOR A VOTE ON TUESDAY
If this ban passes, you will have to go down to the police station and register your magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and you will have to sign an oath that you will never sell them to anyone else.
GUESS HOW MANY CRIMINALS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REGISTER THEIR MAGAZINES? THE ANSWER IS ZERO!
Of course, sales of new magazines holding more than 10 rounds would be BANNED.
Its very important that you make these calls. We realize that youve been called upon to act many times so far this year. But your continued support is crucial. Madigan and the gun-grabbers are hoping that you will get tired of defending your rights.
MADIGAN NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE WILL NEVER GET TIRED OF DEFENDING OUR RIGHTS!
HERE IS WHAT YOU MUST DO TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS
1. Call your state representative and politely tell them you are a law-abiding gun owner who objects to magazine bans. Politely advise them to vote NO on Amendment 12 the magazine ban. If you do not know who your state representative is, then the Illinois State Board of Elections has a new interactive search page here:
www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx
If you know who your representative is, you can find their contact info here:
www.ilga.gov/house/.
2. Post this alert to any and all Internet Bulletin Boards or blogs to which you subscribe.
3. Pass this alert on to your friends and family and ask them to call their legislators as well.
In the next installment of pistol training tips from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Doug Koenig discusses transitioning from one target to another. The key is to switch your eyes to the new target and your hands and body will follow suit.
I learned this technique in a training class with Brian Searcy of TigerSwan. It works. If you move your pistol to the new target before your eyes, you will overshoot the target and have to come back. If you just move your eyes first, your hands and the pistol will lock on to the target and not overshoot it.
HB 17, the Gun Permits/Restaurants and Confidentiality, comes before the North Carolina House’s Judiciary A Committee on Wednesday for hearings. Both parts of this bill – confidentiality and restaurant carry – are important. Grass Roots North Carolina has heard a rumor that the committee might strip out the restaurant carry provisions. Restaurant carry passed the House in the previous session of the General Assembly but died in the Senate for lack of a floor vote.
From GRNC:
Ensure that restaurant carry survives!This critical pro-feedom legislation will solve two significant problems facing North Carolina gun owners: (1) Not being able to defend ourselves and our families in restaurants that serve alcohol, and (2) Being subject to the release of personal information by hostile media, as was done previously in both NC and NY.
HB-17 is currently residing within House Judiciary Subcommittee A. It is scheduled to be heard this Wednesday. Rumors suggest there are efforts to strip out restaurant carry provisions. We must MAKE SURE this DOES NOT HAPPEN!
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
Quickly Email Republican Members of Judiciary Committee A. Tell them to oppose all efforts to weaken the bill by eliminating the restaurant carry provisions.
Plan to Attend the Judiciary Meeting. Show your Representatives in person that you strongly support restaurant carry and that you strongly oppose the release of personal information about concealed carry permit holders!
CONTACT INFORMATION
Copy and paste email addresses for House Judiciary Committee A: John.Blust@ncleg.net, Jacqueline.Schaffer@ncleg.net, Dean.Arp@ncleg.net, Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net, Justin.Burr@ncleg.net, Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net, Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net, Julia.Howard@ncleg.net, Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net, Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net
To attend the Judiciary Committee A meeting, follow these directions on GRNC.org: http://grnc.org/directions-to-the-general-assembly
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Dear Member of Judiciary Committee A:
HB-17, “Gun Permits/Restaurants & Confidentiality” is a critical piece of pro-freedom legislation that will expand the area in our state where law-abiding citizens can effectively protect themselves and their families.
By preventing the release of personal information, HB-17 will also protect law-abiding holders of concealed carry permits from unconscionable attacks by hostile media. As you may know, in other states the release of this type of sensitive personal information has resulted in law-abiding gun owners being targeted by criminals.
I expect you to support this important bill entirely, without any weakening amendments. Efforts to strip out any element related to restaurant carry are unacceptable.
I will be closely monitoring your actions via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.
Respectfully,
The NC Wildlife Resources Commission adopted a resolution on Friday in support of Sunday hunting on private lands with a firearm. It is currently permissible to do so with a bow. I think this is a change whose time has come.
From the release by the Wildlife Resources Commission:
RALEIGH,N.C. (March 15, 2013) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has adopted a resolution supporting a bill that would allow people to hunt on Sundays on private lands.
During the March 14 business meeting, the Commission adopted a resolution in support of Senate Bill 224, which would remove a prohibition against Sunday hunting on private lands with shotgun, rifle or pistol set out in N.C.G.S. 103-2.
The mission of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission includes conserving and managing wildlife resources and enhancing the state’s rich hunting heritage by providing opportunities for hunters to enjoy wildlife-associated recreation.
“Allowing Sunday hunting on private lands will provide additional hunting days and additional options for youth and adults whose school and employment responsibilities limit their hunting opportunities to weekends,” said Gordon Myers, executive director of the Wildlife Commission.
The prohibition against Sunday hunting serves no purpose with regard to conservation of wildlife resources and habitats. North Carolina residents who currently seek hunting opportunities in neighboring states that do allow Sunday hunting take substantial revenues elsewhere instead of keeping these dollars within North Carolina borders where they would generate tremendous economic benefits, particularly to rural areas and businesses.
In 2009, the Commission adopted regulations allowing hunting on Sundays on private lands with archery equipment. Since September 2010 North Carolinians have been hunting on Sundays on private lands with archery equipment without incident or conflict.
The Commission also adopted a motion Thursday directing Myers to work with the Legislature and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to find a solution for the potential loss of compensatory hunting days for those who hunt migratory waterfowl on public waters, should Senate Bill 224 become law.
Another change I’d like to see the Wildlife Resources Commission make is to allow shooting on Sunday at the Wayne E. Smith Shooting Range on the Cold Mountain Game Lands. Most people who could use the range work Monday through Friday and only have Saturday to use the range. The rationale is the same for this range as it is for Sunday hunting.
Permit me this indulgence as this post won’t be on guns, finance, legal issues, or politics. It will be on the tenacity and resilience of a group of high school girls, whom when they were down by 11 with 5 minutes to go in the game, didn’t give up.
From the Winston-Salem Journal:
The Villains looked so dead with five minutes left — they trailed 50-39 then — that Robinson compared his team to Jason Voorhees, the immortal character from the “Friday the 13th ” movie series.
“You just keep coming back again and again and again…,” he said.
After a tough afternoon of outside shooting, McGuinness found its range just in time. The Villains were 6 of 25 on 3-point shots overall, but they made the final three they took. Freshman Tia Cappuccio sandwiched two 3s around a traditional three-point play by Olivia DeFrancesco and a 3-point field goal by Cameron Nieters.
Those points all came in a 15-0 run that stunned the Jaguars, who had the lead for 26½ of the game’s 32 minutes.
The Villains in question are from Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School of Kernersville, North Carolina – my alma mater. They have just won an unbelievable eight state 1-A girls basketball championships….in a row. I wrote about them two years ago when they tied the state record for consecutive championships at six and then last year when they made it seven in a row. I really never thought that I’d be writing about them winning an eighth straight championship. They didn’t win their conference and were only ranked 11th out of 96 teams in the 1-A division by MaxPreps. They had to play their way into the Western Regional championships where they were the 4th seed.
I’ll let Coach Brian Robinson finish this for me.
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