Virginia AG Would Outlaw Bloomberg-Style Stings: The Second Amendment Foundation today applauded Virginia Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell for requesting legislation that would outlaw "simulated straw purchases," thus prohibiting the kind of vigilante gun sting operation mounted last year by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. http://www.pr-inside.com/saf-hails-virginia-attorney-general-for-r79411.htm --- Florida Parking-Lot Bill Advances: The National Rifle Association won the first round Tuesday in a two-year fight with Florida's business lobby over whether employees should be allowed to keep guns in their cars when they go to work. "I would think that right now the bill stands a good chance of passing," said Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, moments after the Senate Criminal Justice Committee voted 7-1 to approve the measure that would make it illegal for businesses to prevent people from keeping guns locked in their cars when they park on company property. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-guns2807mar28,0,6474382.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-state --- Self-Defense Bill Attacked By Montana Prosecutor: ...The Republican-backed bill aims to make it easier for Montanans to defend themselves with deadly force - but it's been wrapped up in partisan politics ever since the state Republican party used it as the centerpiece of an attack ad earlier this month against Democrats. It cleared the House, and is now before the Senate. http://www.montanaforum.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=6450&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Related Letter: http://www.sidneyherald.com/articles/2007/03/27/letters/letter01.txt --- Guns And Poses: Investor's Business Daily observes, "Democrats are noticeably silent as freshman Sen. James Webb packs heat and leaves an aide literally holding the bag. So why should their constituents not have the same right to self-defense?" http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?secid=1501&status=article&id=259974513164131 --- Equal Rights Under The Second Amendment: ...On March 9, a good thing happened for people living in the central and inner cities of America: the DC gun ban was declared unconstitutional. The blanket ban on all operational firearms - and every handgun even if that gun doesn't work - was struck down as unconstitutional by a federal appeals court. As a guy who lived in the projects, served as mayor of Cincinnati, and who serves as a member of the National Rifle Association's urban affairs committee, I say, "Three cheers for justice." http://www.townhall.com/columnists/KenBlackwell/2007/03/29/equal_rights_under_the_second_amendment --- Newt Gingrich Disappoints On The RKBA: "...And I realize that for a purist, that probably means I'm a squishy on the 2nd Amendment. But I do think there's a line of practicality here. I'm also not very much in favor of them buying M-1 tanks just because it amuses them." (The Second Amendment discussion is just past the halfway point in the transcript of the interview.) http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/Transcript_Page.aspx?ContentGuid=78c606c8-4ec0-4d01-9fc2-b44e1f3c9657 --- The New McCarthyism: ...Back in the 50's, the term McCarthyism described the hunt for communists in America, both real and imagined. In 2007, McCarthyism is the quest to ban firearms and make life miserable for legal gun owners. This new McCarthyism won't stop until the U.S. looks like England, complete with skyrocketing crime, light sentences for crooks and helpless citizens trembling behind their dead-bolted doors... http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=194 --- Another Glance At Cramer's Book: ... As Cramer concludes, "Telling people that they can't have a loaded and functional firearm available in their home for self-defense is criminal because it tells someone who intends robbery, rape or murder that the victims won't be able to fight back." http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/fischer/070327 --- More Armed Pilots Needed: Box cutters, ice picks, knives, meat cleavers, brass knuckles and explosive devices are among the lethal weapons undercover government agents manage to smuggle past airport security, according to aviation security experts. They say the serious security gaps underline the need to arm more airline pilots - and quickly. (How about legally armed passengers?) http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200703/NAT20070328c.html --- Only Hits Count: A home-invader in Washington was fatally shot with his own gun after he kicked in the door to a house and fired two rounds inside a stairwell, after which his intended victim wrestled the gun away from him and shot him. One of the initial bullets went through the wall next to the stairway, puncturing the siding of a house next door. Another bullet lodged in a washer-dryer inside the doorway, at the base of the steps. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003640441_webeverettdead28.html --- Duh!: The death of a retired Jersey City police officer on Monday appeared to be an accident, but subsequent autopsy details have investigators taking a closer look at the possibility it was a suicide, officials said. http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1175061575171350.xml&coll=3 --- Rule Five Reminder: From a recent FBI bulletin: Law enforcement vehicles are becoming targets for suspected burglars. Multiple identified burglars in the Washington, DC metropolitan area have admitted to stealing or breaking into known law enforcement vehicles to steal weapons, gear (jackets, bulletproof vest, and other clothing), and equipment (cameras, radios, and light packages). The bulletin also cautions about stickers and general appearance that may help identify unmarked law-enforcement vehicles. Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm. --- Mexico Makes Demand On US: Mexico's attorney general on Wednesday demanded U.S. authorities do more to stop guns and drug money from heading south and fueling the drug violence in Mexico that left more 2,000 dead last year. (No mention seems to have been made of all the Mexicans who illegally enter the US every year, draining the financial resources of hospitals and governments at all levels.) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070329/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/mexico_us_guns --- South African Homeowner Faces Murder Charge: A Cape Town man who shot a burglar who attacked him while the man attempted to call police, after the burglar was taken at gunpoint and ordered him to sit down, is being charged with murder. http://bushradionews.blogspot.com/2007/03/resident-faces-murder-charges-after.html --- Gun Rights Policy Conference: Come meet national gun rights leaders and your fellow grassroots activists at the 22nd Annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC 2007) in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 5, 6 & 7, 2007. This is your once-a-year chance to network and get an insider look and plan pro-gun rights strategies for the coming year... http://www.saf.org/default.asp?p=grpc --- From Oregon Firearms Federation: House Bill 2852, a bill that will reward the Port of Portland Police for breaking the law is scheduled for a "Work Session" on Monday-April 2 at 8:30 A.M.in room 357. As you know from our previous alert, the Port of Portland is violating gun owners' rights and the law with an illegal ordinance banning CHL holders from airport property if they are in possession of their self defense firearms... http://oregonfirearms.org/alertspage/03.27.07alert.html --- From AzCDL: SB 1250, the bill to eliminate the fingerprint requirement for CCW permit renewals, is on the House "Consent" calendar which is used to bypass the Committee of the Whole (COW), and move unamended bills to Third Read, in order to expedite the legislative process. SB 1250 passed out of the Senate by a vote of 27-2. SB 1258 is the "Katrina" bill. It prohibits the Governor or Adjutant General from confiscating lawfully held firearms during a state of emergency. SB 1258 is on the House COW calendar for March 29, 2007. SB 1258 passed out of the Senate by a vote of 22-8. Please take the time to drop a polite note to House members saying that you would like to see them vote for these bills. Below are email lists of the House in both semi-colon and comma separated format. House members in comma format: eableser@azleg.gov; kadams@azleg.gov; malvarez@azleg.gov; manderson@azleg.gov; rbarnes@azleg.gov; nbarto@azleg.gov; abiggs@azleg.gov; tboone@azleg.gov; dbradley@azleg.gov; jbrown@azleg.gov; jburges@azleg.gov; jburns@azleg.gov; ocajerobedford@azleg.gov; chcampbell@azleg.gov; clcampbell@azleg.gov; dclark@azleg.gov; rcrandall@azleg.gov; scrump@azleg.gov; mdesimone@azleg.gov; adriggs@azleg.gov, sfarley@azleg.gov, efarnsworth@azleg.gov, sgallardo@azleg.gov, mgarcia@azleg.gov, tgroe@azleg.gov, phershberger@azleg.gov, jkavanagh@azleg.gov, akirkpatrick@azleg.gov, bkonopnicki@azleg.gov, plopes@azleg.gov, llopez@azleg.gov, dlujan@azleg.gov, lmason@azleg.gov, mmcclure@azleg.gov, jmccomish@azleg.gov, bmcguire@azleg.gov, nmclain@azleg.gov, rmeza@azleg.gov, bmiranda@azleg.gov, rmurphy@azleg.gov, jnelson@azleg.gov, wnichols@azleg.gov, lpancrazi@azleg.gov, jpaton@azleg.gov, rpearce@azleg.gov, tprezelski@azleg.gov, mreagan@azleg.gov, prios@azleg.gov, brobson@azleg.gov, lsaradnik@azleg.gov, dschapira@azleg.gov, ksinema@azleg.gov, bstump@azleg.gov, jthrasher@azleg.gov, atobin@azleg.gov, atom@azleg.gov, tulmer@azleg.gov, jweiers@azleg.gov, jpweiers@azleg.gov, syarbrough@azleg.gov Information on this and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html An update on legislation can be found in our March newsletter: http://www.azcdl.org/html/newsletters.html 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 © 2007 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved. -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .