ACLU vs. the Second Amendment: ...The ACLU argued that the term "the people" should have its definition changed to mean "the state militia," as the ACLU website states under the section "Gun Control": "We believe that the constitutional right to bear arms is primarily a collective one, intended mainly to protect the right of the states to maintain militias. ... The ACLU therefore believes that the Second Amendment does not confer an unlimited right upon individuals to own guns." Using the ACLU's new definition of "the people," the Second Amendment would read: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the the state militia' to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60160 --- Arizona Vehicle-Carry Bill Moves to Senate: A bill approved by the Arizona House would make it legal for a person without a concealed carry permit to have a gun in a closed purse in an automobile. The bill carves out a new exception to the state's weapons misconduct law. Violations of the law are misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine up to $2,500. It's legal under the weapons misconduct law for a person without a concealed carry permit to have a gun in a case, holster or luggage in an automobile or in the automobile's storage compartments. The 51-4 vote by the House on Thursday sends the bill to the Senate. (Not mentioned is that the plain language of the current statute was muddied by a pair of 1994 court rulings.) http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/80963.php --- $10.4 Million Security Blanket at Virginia Tech: So far Virginia Tech has spent $10.4 million in security revisions...It's like those security blankets we had as kids, it wouldn't do anything to stop that monster in the closet, but we felt safe when it was around. And in my opinion, thinking we are safe when we actually are not is more dangerous than not being safe... All too often people rapidly dismiss the idea of concealed carry, on the grounds of "they wouldn't feel safe." We need to start thinking with logic rather than emotion... http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/2008/03/28/letter__tech_s_new_security_policies_worth_investigating --- Oops, Wrong Pizza Man: A pizza deliveryman told Des Moines police that he shot a man who robbed him at gunpoint when he delivered a pie late Thursday to a south-side address. The alleged assailant, Kenneth Jimmerson, 19, was taken to Mercy Medical Center in serious condition. He was charged this morning with first-degree robbery and will be taken to Polk County Jail when released from the hospital, police said. Melanie Stout, 18, the woman who placed the order for the pizzas, was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. Restaurant officials have suspended the Pizza Hut driver, James William Spiers, while the case is under investigation. Polk County officials today confirmed that Spiers holds a valid gun permit, which was renewed in November. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080328/NEWS/80328005#gslPageReturn --- Rule Five Reminder: More than 90 weapons and 230 laptop computers belonging to the Drug Enforcement Administration have turned up missing over the past five years and, despite efforts by the agency to address weaknesses in tracking the items, "significant deficiencies" remain, a report said yesterday. The lost and stolen weapons include pistols, rifles, shotguns and a submachine gun, said a 105-page report by the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General, which also noted that DEA officials could not say how 198 of the 231 laptop computers came to be missing. (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm[s].) http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080329/NATION/670184430/1001 http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4545561&page=1 --- NRA-ILA Alerts: Alerts for this week are posted on the NRA-ILA website. http://www.nraila.org/GrassrootsAlerts/read.aspx --- From AzCDL: The following is an update on some AzCDL supported bills that are moving in committees. Information on these bills and other legislation that AzCDL is tracking can be found at: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html . HB 2630, an AzCDL requested bill, was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 24, 2008, and passed by a partisan 4-3 vote. If you are not committing, or attempting to commit, a serious or violent crime, HB 2630 reclassifies carrying a concealed weapon without a permit as a petty offense. It now awaits a hearing in the Senate Rules committee. SB 1070, an AzCDL requested bill, was heard on March 26, 2008 in the House Natural Resources and Public Safety Committee, where it passed by a 9-0 vote with one member absent. SB 1070 proposes changes to ARS 13-3112 regarding the process for obtaining a concealed weapons (CCW) permit. The proposed legislation makes it easier for lawful gun owners who have satisfactorily completed training to obtain a permit, or renew an expired one. It also assists those wishing to obtain a permit by removing the statutory barrier requiring instructors to create a training organization, and expands the pool of available instructors to automatically include certain NRA certified instructors passing the required background investigation. SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit, is scheduled for a hearing in House Homeland Security and Property Rights Committee on Monday, March 31, 2008. SB 1214, an AzCDL requested bill that would allow adults with Concealed Weapons (CCW) permits to carry concealed firearms on public college and university property, won't be scheduled for debate in the Senate COW until the Senate leadership knows that the votes are in place. Senator Johnson is working on a possible amendment to SB 1214 to address the concerns of those Senators who are reluctant to support her bill. If you have not already done so, we strongly encourage you to contact your Senator, and let them know you expect them to vote for SB 1214 in the Senate COW and during Third Read. You can find your Senator here: http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp . Stay tuned! As relevant legislation progresses, we will keep you up to date via these Alerts: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AZCDL_Alerts/ . 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 © 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved. -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .