DC Gun Laws Still In Place: Significant gun laws dating back to the 1930s remain in the D.C. Code despite a recent federal court decision that overturned sections of the District's 30-year-old ban on handguns. For example, even if the gun ban is overturned, it will continue to be against the law to carry a gun outside the home in the District...At a Tuesday press conference protesting the decision, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said officials also may choose to craft new legislation in lieu of a Supreme Court appeal. http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20070510-113203-3883r.htm Related Editorial From The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902311.html --- NYC Vows To Continue Gun Stings: Despite a stern warning from the Justice Department, the city plans to move forward with more sting operations against illegal gun dealers, a top city official said yesterday. John Feinblatt, the city's criminal justice coordinator, said a half-dozen other cities are also exploring the possibility of doing similar stings. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/05/10/2007-05-10_we_wont_cave_on_gun_stings_city.html Other Cities May Mimic NYC Gun Stings: A half-dozen cities might follow New York's lead and conduct their own undercover sting operations to disrupt illegal gun sales, a senior mayoral aide disclosed yesterday. "There are a number of cities that want to emulate what we've done," John Feinblatt, Mayor Bloomberg's criminal justice coordinator, said at a breakfast sponsored by Ladies Home Journal... http://www.nypost.com/seven/05102007/news/regionalnews/n_y__triggers_gun_stings_nationwide_regionalnews_david_seifman_____city_hall_bureau_chief.htm --- McCarthy Optimistic About Expansion Of Background Checks: Three weeks after the shootings at Virginia Tech, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy remains optimistic that she'll finally succeed in her longtime drive to strengthen background checks on gun buyers...Still, she readily acknowledges a tough road ahead. She has no timetable for congressional action, but she expects her bill to be on the House floor "sooner rather than later." In the Senate, Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is expected to introduce companion legislation within the next few weeks. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0507/3923.html --- Feinstein Introduces .50-Caliber-Ban Bill: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), today introduced legislation to regulate the transfer and possession of .50 BMG caliber sniper rifles, which have extraordinary firepower and range (more than a mile with accuracy, with a maximum distance of up to four miles). These combat-style weapons are capable of bringing down airliners and helicopters that are taking off or landing, puncturing pressurized chemical storage facilities, and penetrating light armored personnel vehicles and protective limousines. http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=6d458c1c-bbc1-b30c-5d6b-12f50a7ce559 --- New Jersey .50-Caliber-Ban Bill Amended: Muzzleloader firearms used by war re-enactors and New Jersey deer hunters were exempted from a proposed ban on certain .50-caliber rifles yesterday when an Assembly committee released the bill while recommending other changes be considered. http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1178866126289360.xml&coll=1 --- Texas Republicans Split Over Parking-Lot Storage: As a gun-rights advocate, Suzanna Gratia Hupp believes she should be able to carry her concealed weapon anywhere she wants. "It is ultimately my responsibility," explains Hupp, whose parents were shot in front of her at the 1991 Luby's massacre in Killeen while Hupp's handgun sat - illegally at the time - in her vehicle. "My safety is my responsibility." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4783905.html --- Texas CHL-Privacy Bill Heads To Governor: A bill that would cloak the identities of Texans issued concealed handgun licenses by the Texas Department of Public Safety is on its way to Gov. Rick Perry. The Texas Senate passed the bill Wednesday, adopting identical language to the House to bar the public from viewing the names of concealed handgun licensees. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4790930.html --- Tennessee CCW-Expansion Bill Advances: A bill that would allow Tenneseans to carry their state permitted handguns into public places like playgrounds met with a healthy dose of skepticism from Davidson County legislators, but passed another committee hurdle nonetheless...The bill still has to go through the Finance Committee, which can be a significant roadblock. Legislators said they were not optimistic of the bill passing the House this year and predicted the bill would be killed by the Finance Committee. http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=38&screen=news&news_id=56110 --- Illinois Senate Approves High-Capacity-Magazine Ban: With suggestions that it could help limit tragedies like April's Virginia Tech massacre, the Senate on Wednesday approved a ban on high-capacity gun magazines. Ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition would be illegal under legislation that passed 31-26 and was sent to the House. http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/5080 http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200705/CUL20070511c.html --- New Hampshire Supremes Hear CCW Appeal: The New Hampshire Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday from Bleiler's attorney, Richard Lehmann, that his constitutional right to arm himself was violated when his concealed weapon permit was revoked. Lehmann also argued that the law defining the criteria for handing out and revoking those permits is too vague. http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070510/REPOSITORY/705100332 --- Fred Thompson Seconds Kates: If you care about constitutional law, and everybody should, the big news is that it looks as if the Supreme Court is going to hear a Second Amendment case some time next year...A few days ago, the Gray Lady published a fascinating account of the case - fascinating but fundamentally flawed. In it, the central argument about the Second Amendment is pretty accurately described...Unfortunately, the article falsely portrays the individual-right argument as some new interpretation held only by a few fringe theorists. The truth is very different, as civil-rights attorney and gun-law expert Don Kates has pointed out recently... http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=M2U3MzVkZGVjMGE4MzhkODQ1NGM3YWIwYzkzNTFkOTk= Related Commentary: http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=11413 --- Obama Supports Ban On Sale, Transfer Of Semi-Autos: In his response to the 1998 National Political Awareness Test, Barack Obama checked off "Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons." (Scroll down to Gun Issues.) http://votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=BS030017 Discussion: http://www.volokh.com/posts/1178752547.shtml --- Oops, Wrong Liquor Store: A Purcell OK liquor store owner refused to comply when a man entered his store and told him to hand over his money Tuesday. Instead, the owner pulled out his gun and told the would-be robber to get out. (Note once again the misguided attempt to shoot out a tire.) http://www.normantranscript.com/localnews/local_story_123012324 --- Oops, Wrong Jeweler: This is an alternate report of an incident shared in yesterday's mailing. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cbotched10may10,0,6671207.story?coll=sfla-news-broward --- Arizona State Senators Accused Of Illegal Carry: A leading legislative proponent of easing state gun laws carries her weapon into the Senate building - an apparent violation of state law. Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, made the admission Thursday to Capitol Media Services while explaining why she is pushing legislation to ease the penalty on those who carry a concealed weapon without getting the required state permit...Several lawmakers questioned by Capitol Media Services said they have permits to carry concealed weapons. That includes House Speaker Jim Weiers. But only Senate Minority Leader Marsha Arzberger, D-Willcox, admitted - sort of - that her gun was close. (The Capitol Media Services reporter apparently does not understand Arizona law.) http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2007/05/11/news/20070511_front%20page_5.txt --- From AzCDL: Two pro-rights bills finally passed out of the House Rules committee, after being held there for weeks, and are now headed to the House floor for debate and a vote in the Committee of the Whole (COW). SB 1152 is a "Strike Everything" bill that prohibits the implementation of the federal REAL ID act of 2005 in Arizona: "This state shall not participate in the implementation of the REAL ID act of 2005. The department shall not implement the REAL ID act of 2005 and shall report to the governor and the legislature any attempt by agencies or agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security to secure the implementation of the REAL ID act of 2005 through the operations of that department." SB 1152 passed out of the Senate on March 8th with a vote of 23-5-2. Many of you have expressed concern over the REAL ID Act. You now have an opportunity to express those concerns to the House. SB 1251 strengthens the "public establishment or event" storage requirements. It defines "secure storage" and "readily accessible." It prohibits permanently recording information about the weapon or individual. If an "operator" doesn't comply, they can't prohibit weapons. Lobbyists for law enforcement groups, state agencies, cities, and towns are putting on the pressure to kill SB 1251. It passed out of the Senate on February 20th by a vote of 19-9-2. Please take the time to drop a polite note to House members urging them to vote for the passage of SB 1152 and SB 1251. Below are email lists of all Representatives in both semi-colon and comma separated formats. Use the one compatible with your email software. House members in semi-colon 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 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 these and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.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. PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY! SB 1629, which reduces the penalty for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit for law-abiding citizens, passed the Senate Final Read on May 10, 2007, by a vote of 21-5-4 (70%). It's now headed to the Governor's desk. SB 1629 passed the House on May 1, 2007 by a vote of 37-18-5 (62%). SB 1629 reclassifies carrying a concealed weapon without a permit as a petty offense, unless the violation occurs in the commission or attempted commission of: 1. A "serious offense or violent crime" in which case the CCW offense is a class 6 felony, or 2. Any other felony, in which case it's a class 1 misdemeanor. In a nutshell, if you're a bad guy carrying a concealed weapon, penalties have been stiffened. If you're a law-abiding citizen, it's a petty offense. Under current law, if you have not been issued a concealed weapons (CCW) permit, it is a class 1 misdemeanor to carry a concealed weapon. Everyone is treated like a hardened criminal. Sadly, because of a couple of 1994 Appellate Court decisions: · There is no clear, objective standard in statute that you can rely on to determine if you are violating the law. · If a casual observer cannot easily see your firearm, you are carrying concealed and could be arrested. · Wearing a gun in a vehicle = concealed carry. Without a permit you are subject to arrest. · Having a CCW permit and wearing a gun in a vehicle puts your non-CCW permit passengers at risk for being arrested for carrying concealed without a permit. SB 1629 separates the innocent mistake by law-abiding citizens from the cold-blooded actions of hardcore criminals. SB 1629 even adds the "attempted commission of a serious offense" language to the law, to assist law enforcement in arresting the bad guys. It is VERY important to contact the Governor and urge her to sign SB 1629 into law. You can use your own message, or you can use the cut-and-paste message below. Her email address is azgov@az.gov (Please send a courtesy copy of your message to president@AzCDL.org). You can also fax a letter to her at 602-542-1381. Or you can mail it to her at the following address: The Honorable Janet Napolitano Governor of Arizona 1700 West Washington Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Subject: Fight Crime - Please sign SB 1629 Governor Napolitano: The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) has informed me that crime-fighting legislation, SB 1629, is awaiting your signature. I urge you to sign SB 1629 into law. Under SB 1629, if you are committing or attempting to commit a "serious offense or violent crime" the penalty for carrying a concealed weapon jumps from the current class 1 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony. For any other felony, the penalty remains a class 1 misdemeanor. The penalty is reduced to a petty offense ONLY for law-abiding citizens. If you're a bad guy carrying a concealed weapon, penalties have been stiffened. If you're a law-abiding citizen, it's a petty offense. Over 98% of Arizona citizens do not have concealed weapons permits, largely because the Arizona Constitution protects the right to "open carry." Unfortunately, because of a pair of 1994 Appellate Court decisions, there is no clear, objective standard in statue that law-abiding citizens can rely on to determine if we are breaking the law. SB 1629 only reduces the penalty for law-abiding citizens attempting to comply with a statute clouded by court decisions. However it INCREASES the penalty for criminals carrying concealed without a permit. It even adds the "attempted commission" language to the law to assist law enforcement in arresting those criminals who are intent on committing a crime while carrying a weapon. SB 1629 also specifies that AZ POST certified officers may carry a weapon into any place, and under any circumstances, not specifically excluded in HB 2457 that you signed on April 16, 2007. This is another crime-fighting feature of SB 1629. It means a greater law-enforcement presence and safer neighborhoods, businesses and streets. SB 1629 enjoyed broad support from Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature. It just passed the Senate by more than a 2/3 vote. The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) supports it. The NRA supports it. You have every reason to sign SB 1629. Again, I urge you to sign SB 1629 into law. Sincerely, Your Name Street Address City, AZ zip-code telephone number You can also go to the Governor's website http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp where you will find a fill-in-the-blanks form to register your opinion. For "subject", scroll down and select "Legislation." For "topic", fill in "SB 1629." You can add your own polite message urging her to sign SB 1629 in the "message/comment" area, or you can use the cut-and-paste message above. You can call her office toll free using this number: 1-800-253-0883 Information on this and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html As legislation progresses, we will keep you up to date via these Alerts and at our website. 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 .