No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.2.4/282 - Release Date: 3/15/2006 Florida Parking-Lot Bill Still Stalled In Committee: Two of the Republican party's biggest supporters are facing off in a duel over a bill to let employees leave their guns in locked cars at work. And Rep. David Simmons again wasn't able to avert the showdown Wednesday between business owners and gun activists. http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/14106903.htm --- Alabama Stand-Your-Ground Bill Stalled In Committee: The House vote on the bill, which would expand the situations and places people may use deadly force when they feel threatened, was postponed after Republicans and several black Democrats filibustered the bill. http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/legislature.ssf?/base/news/114241797892730.xml&coll=1 --- Pro-RKBA Bills Introduced In Pennsylvania: One bill would ban firearm registries, such as that maintained by the state police. The other would remove the requirement to retreat before resorting to deadly force outside the home. http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=4632108&nav=5ka4 Related Articles: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06074/670326.stm http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/regional/s_433382.html --- Virginia Approves Permitless Carry In Glove Compartment: Licensed gun owners can now keep a firearm locked in the glove compartment or some other locked container inside their car without a concealed weapons permit under provision adopted by the legislature last week. (Article fails to state the effective date of this law.) http://www.zwire.com/site/tab5.cfm?newsid=16307928&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=506096&rfi=6 --- Tennessee Bill Would Shift Background Checks To FBI: Currently the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation charges a $10 fee to run the background check for firearm purchases. The FBI's NICS does not charge a fee. http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060315/NEWS0201/603150389/1009/NEWS --- Local Control Of CCW Proposed In Ohio: In direct opposition to the pre-emption portion of HB 347, a state senator has introduced a bill that would authorize local governments to ban licensed CCW. http://peoplesrights.org/articletemplate.asp?id=148 --- New Orleans Admits Stockpile Of Confiscated Firearms: A Second Amendment group calls it a "stunning reversal." After denying it for months, the City of New Orleans on Wednesday admitted that it does have a stockpile of firearms seized from private citizens in the days following Hurricane Katrina. http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62434 http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200603\CUL20060316b.html --- Dog Incident Leads To Fatal Shooting: A trailer park owner in Texas went to check on why one of his tenant's pit bull had chased his step-grandson. The man ended shooting both the dog and the dog's owner after he was attacked by each of them. (Could this incident have been handled by local animal-control officers?) http://216.87.159.39/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=10778 --- Oops, Wrong Store: A 15-year-old robber was shot fatally as he and two companions sought to rob a store in Trenton NJ. The area newspaper is seeking to make an issue of the fact that the revolver used by one of the store's employees was not purchased in compliance with that state's prohibitive restrictions on firearms. http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.ssf?/base/news-1/114241410569320.xml&coll=5 --- From GOA: U.S. House Will Vote Soon on Whether to Ditch John McCain's Internet Regulations Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 http://www.gunowners.org Wednesday, March 15, 2006 The U.S. House of Representatives will vote, as early as Thursday, on legislation introduced by Texas Congressmen Jeb Hensarling and Ron Paul. This bill (H.R. 1606) will exempt the Internet from regulation under federal "electioneering" laws. Unless the Hensarling-Paul bill is successful, many major blogs and web sites could be shut down for 60 days before any general election -- and for 30 days prior to any primary -- making it much more difficult for groups like Gun Owners of America to criticize anti-gun candidates. How did we arrive at such a dismal state? You may remember that, a half-decade ago, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) pushed a McCain-Feingold bill which, as enacted, prohibits organizations from engaging in major "broadcast communications" which even mention a candidate in a favorable or unfavorable light within 60 days of a general election (30 days of a primary). Senate Republicans rolled over -- and George Bush signed the bill -- based on the assumption that the Supreme Court would surely save them from their unconstitutional legislation. But, in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, 540 U.S. 93 (2003), the Supreme Court, by a five-to-four decision, upheld McCain-Feingold, almost in its entirely. To its enormous credit, the conservative Federal Election Commission (FEC), in the wake of the McConnell case, moved to narrowly interpret the statute -- exempting the Internet entirely from McCain-Feingold. But in Shays v. Federal Election Commission, 337 F.Supp.2d 28 (D.C., 2004), a federal judge ordered the FEC to regulate the Internet. The FEC is doing everything in its power to minimize the impact of the Shays ruling. But, there is certainly a danger that, if Hensarling and Paul are unsuccessful in exempting the Internet from FEC regulation, many major blogs and web sites will be construed to be engaged in "electioneering communications" because they praise or criticize candidates. And, if this happens, they could be shut down for 60 days prior to an election -- or, at least, subject to a "gag rule" on what they are allowed to say. ACTION: Contact your congressman. Ask him to vote for H.R. 1606, a bill to exempt the Internet from McCain-Feingold. Time is short, so please CALL rather than e-mail your representative. (You can use the sample text below to help direct your comments.) The toll-free number to call your representative is 877-762-8762. If you can't get through, the Capitol Switchboard number is 202-225-3121. ----- Sample phone text ----- The U.S. House of Representatives will soon vote on H.R. 1606, a bill by introduced by Texas Congressmen Jeb Hensarling and Ron Paul to exempt the Internet from regulation under federal "electioneering" laws. Unless the Hensarling-Paul bill is successful, many major blogs and web sites could be shut down for 60 days before any general election -- and for 30 days prior to any primary. Please support H.R. 1606. **************************** -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .