NRA Touts Annual Meeting: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is pleased to announce this year's Annual Meetings and Exhibits to be held at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina from May 14-May 16... This year's Annual Meetings and Exhibits will have an estimated 70,000 attendees, putting this on target to be one of the largest and finest in NRA's 139-year history. Leading firearm manufacturers will display the firearm industry's latest and greatest products. Various hunting and shooting accessories and an extensive private collection displayed by NRA-affiliated gun collector clubs will fill acres of convention space. With approximately 400 exhibits, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone... http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nras-annual-meetings--exhibits-2010-a-celebration-of-american-values-85212142.html NRA Offers Free Membership to Active-Duty Military: The National Rifle Association's connection to the military goes back well over a century. Indeed, it was military men who founded the organization. Dismayed by the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops, Union veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed the National Rifle Association in 1871. The primary goal of the association was to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis," according to a magazine editorial written by Church. Military veterans have played a role in NRA ever since. They make up a significant part of NRA's membership and Board of Directors. They shoot in NRA's competitive matches and often become NRA-Certified Instructors to teach gun safety and basic marksmanship. Because NRA deeply appreciates the sacrifices you make while serving our country, we are honored to offer you a complimentary one-year membership in the NRA as a token of our gratitude and respect. Click here for more information on benefits of membership and to take advantage of the offer: http://www.nra.org/supportourtroops/... http://www.ammoland.com/2010/02/24/nra-offers-free-membership/ --- To Lobby the Supreme Court?: With the Supreme Court of the United States scheduled to hear arguments in McDonald v. Chicago (the case of the City of Chicago's handgun ban) next week, Mayor Daley is making the rounds in Washington, D.C. to garner more support for the ban. Daley appeared at the National Press Club along with a few other civic leaders from around the nation who support such local bans to keep communities safe. Gun rights advocates insist the ban violates Second Amendment rights. A similar ban in D.C. was overturned in 2008. Said Mayor Daley, "In this day and age when we think the right to bear arms in all of our communities that means any type of weapon. I don't think our founding fathers believed that these type of weapons would be on the street and to me every jurisdiction have a right to talk about the health and safety of their communities." Daley was joined by Chicago firefighter Annette Nance-Holt, and her husband Chicago Police Officer Ronald Holt, parents of Blair Holt, the teen shot and killed on board a CTA bus in 2007. The teen who killed Holt was sentenced to 100 years in prison last summer while an accomplice received a 10-year sentence. (I doubt that Daley has seriously studied what the Founders may have envisioned. Private ownership of cannon, while not commonplace, due to their cost, was not unusual in their time.) http://chicagoist.com/2010/02/24/daley_does_dc_to_support_handgun_ba.php --- Suit to Be Filed over Colorado Gun Ban: Terry Ryan, the lawyer for the Windsor-based Rocky Mountain Gun Owner's club, said today he is filing a lawsuit against Colorado State University after its governing board voted unanimously Tuesday to ban guns from its two campuses. Affirming promises made earlier this month at a small-caliber news conference (see the video below), Ryan says, "I'm certain the policy is illegal, and we're going to challenge that in court. I think that the board was wrong for a lot of reasons. The board of governors doesn't even have the authority to do it." But seeing as they seem to think they do have authority, Colorado might just have a gun fight on the horizon... http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/02/as_csu_pulls_the_trigger_on_a.php --- Pennsylvania Bill Would Reduce Restrictions on Permittees: Anyone holding a gun permit would be allowed to carry a weapon into public parks, most restaurants and other businesses under a bill that has passed the state Senate. Senate Bill 2153 passed the Senate on a 48-3 vote earlier this month. It was sent to the state House and was assigned to the Judiciary B Committee last week. It must also pass the House and be signed into law by the governor. If the bill becomes law, it would allow people holding concealed weapon permit the right to carry a concealed firearm in parks, restaurants, etc. "The bill only applies to people who have a gun permit," said state Sen. Merle Flowers of Southaven, who authored the bill. "Concealed gun permit holders have been cleared. They have to undergo background checks through the FBI and other law enforcement agencies before they receive the permit." Flowers added the bill also allows for any city or county which want to continue the ban of concealed weapons in parks within their boundaries to do so... http://www.neshobademocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=297&ArticleID=20495 --- Oregon Debates RKBA Restoration: Lawmakers scrambled Wednesday to fix what they called a "mistake" in a bill from last year that vastly broadened rights of convicted felons to obtain a license to own a gun in Oregon. But opposition from the gun lobby quickly doused all but a single tweak: Felons must make their requests to a Circuit Court judge instead of a justice of the peace. Language in a 2009 bill inadvertently changed state law to allow felons to apply to have their gun rights restored, throwing out provisions that they had to be convicted of only one felony that didn't involve a gun or a criminal homicide... Prozanski dashed off an emergency bill that would restore earlier limits, but he ran into a hail of opposition from gun lobbyists. They argued that the current language is good because it allows people convicted of minor felonies to get their rights to own a gun restored more quickly. "None of us have any desire to arm murderers or rapists, I can assure you," said Kevin Starrett, executive director of the Oregon Firearms Federation. But some people have been convicted of a gun-related felony simply because they filled a form out wrong, Starrett said. "We should be supporting the potential for redemption." ... http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/bill_makes_it_easier_for_viole.html --- Missouri to Weigh CCW Reform: Citizens with permits to carry concealed weapons would have to renew their permit every five years - instead of three - under several legislative proposals being considered this year. Seven bills filed in the House also would lower the age to get a concealed carry weapon permit from 23 to 21. On Wednesday, the House Agri-Business Committee held hearings on proposals dealing with concealed weapons and self-defense. One bill that lowers the age for carrying a concealed weapon also would expand the right to use deadly force against any unlawful intruder on private property to any area of the property outside of the home. The current law, known as the Castle Doctrine, gives individuals the right to use deadly force against intruders in their home... Parson's legislation would require permit holders to take an online course during the third year of the five-year period to learn any changes in law regarding firearms and CCW permits. "The people who have conceal carry weapons are law-abiding citizens," said the former Polk County sheriff... The Second Amendment Coalition of Missouri supports each of the bills, except Parson's, because of requiring the online course, said Dale Schmid, president of the gun rights group. "Any additional regulation of it, even if well-intended, is going to end up with people not renewing properly." (To my knowledge, it is still legal for a Missouri resident to carry in Missouri with an out-of-state permit, an option preferred by many Missouri gun owners.) http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100225/NEWS01/2250367/Bills-propose-changes-to-Missouri-concealed-weapon-laws --- CW Still an Issue in California Sheriff Race: Sheriff Sandra Hutchens prompted guffaws from some Second Amendment stalwarts when she said at a Feb. 9 candidate forum that she's approved 90 percent of applications for concealed weapons permits. In fact, she's significantly tightened distribution criteria. There are 22 percent fewer CCW permits than when Hutchens was appointed to the job in 2008. And most permits she's approved come with restrictions absent from permits issued by predecessor Mike Carona. The issue is unlikely to determine the outcome of this year's sheriff's election (while it could affect a close race, I don't think this issue alone will make it close). But one challenger - Bill Hunt - has made it a central campaign issue and the other challenger - Craig Hunter - is also a critic of Hutchens' policy. Voters for whom the permits are important are relatively few, but they are passionate and they could help bring gun-rights dough to Hunt and Hunter. Both challengers say they would be more lax in handing out the permits. Hunt has said he'd grant requests from any adult with a clean record and no obvious mental health issues, so long as they say they need the weapon for "personal protection." ... http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2010/02/24/hutchens-in-spotlight-over-concealed-weapons-permits/30745/ --- Oops, Wrong House: When Michael Allsop heard his bedroom window shatter, police said, he ran into his bathroom and called 911. But when he saw two hands reach into his house, he put down the phone and picked up his 9mm pistol. The 59-year-old homeowner opened fire Wednesday morning, wounding a would-be burglar. The burglar ran away. Minutes later, a man showed up at Bayfront Medical Center with two gunshot wounds. St. Petersburg [FL] police said that's where they arrested Michael Patterson, 30, on a charge of burglary of an occupied structure... Allsop has had plenty of experience with burglars. Wednesday's break-in was the sixth burglary reported at his home at 1926 Seminole Blvd. S in the five years he's lived there, police records show. Allsop said he heard a knock at the door about 9:40 a.m. but didn't answer it because he wasn't expecting anyone. Then he heard the bedroom window shatter. He fired three or four times when he saw the burglar trying to enter, police said. It was the same window that was damaged when, police said, three men tried to get into his house on the evening of Aug. 23... http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/police-st-petersburg-homeowner-shoots-would-be-burglar/1075550 http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m2d24-St-Petersburg-FL-homeowner-shoots-home-invader-in-self-defense --- Oops, Wrong House - Media Bias: ...KPRC Houston reported that the defender was asleep at home when Jackson broke in through a window. Neighbors concluded that the deceased believed nobody was home because the owner's truck wasn't parked outside, and was motivated by the fact that the homeowner was in a band and may have owned expensive music equipment... KPRC concluded with: "The case will be referred to a Harris County grand jury without charges." This is a polite way of saying that police and prosecutors believe the shooting was justified... Contrast this with the terse announcement by the Houston Chronicle, which only mentions the bare facts of the case: Jackson "forced his way into the house," the homeowner "was awakened by the sounds and shot Jackson," and that the grand jury was going to "look at the case." The Chronicle conveniently left out two facts: * In Texas, grand jury review of a defensive shooting is standard procedure to avoid any hint of favoritism. * The shooting was considered justified... http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m2d25-Recent-defensive-shooting-a-good-study-of-character --- Another Reporter Gets a Carry Permit: ...I tested for the easiest North Dakota permit to get, a class 2. And, oh, was it ever easy... The two-hour test, all written, took place in a serviceable conference room at Grand Forks' Hilton Garden Inn. I had found a certified testing professional online and joined one of the dates he had scheduled. Throughout the test he read a Tom Clancy novel. The only other tester was my local mechanic... The test is open book and almost exclusively true/false. It is required that test-takers score 100% correct. The instructor will "advise" you about your answers. When I turned in my test with two incorrect answers I was allowed to correct them; I scored 100%. The ND permit to carry test is a test if you consider that it only tested the ability to show up at a predetermined destination at a certain time. Other than that, it is not a "test" in the sense that it could be used as a means of evaluating the abilities, aptitudes, skills or performance of an individual's knowledge or proficiency with North Dakota's conceal carry laws or firearms in general. I left knowing more than I entered knowing but I would say, at best, the four-page test assesses literacy... (This is a lengthy article, with a lot of debatable material. Sauer's grudging admission that he left knowing more than he did on entering is testimony to the instructional role of the test. Being the enlightened citizen that he is, one would presume that he would seek actual instruction in the operation of a firearm.) http://www.theawl.com/2010/02/real-america-the-gunmen-among-us --- More Detailed History: A few weeks ago, I linked to a picture of civil rights activist John Salter being attacked by a mob during a lunch counter sit-in during the 1960s. I also linked to a newspaper op-ed in which Salter explained how he and other civil rights workers used firearms for protection from Klansmen and other terrorists - when Klansmen knew that a homicide would not be witnessed by the news media. Since that blog post drew great interest from the readers, I thought that some persons might be interested in the longer version of Salter's history of the role of armed self-defense in the Civil Rights Movement... http://volokh.com/2010/02/22/the-story-of-the-armed-community-organizers/ --- Palin Receives Personalized Rifle: Sarah Palin has another gun - a Henry Big Boy .44 Magnum lever-action rifle, stamped with a unique serial number: PALIN-001. Engraved with the words, "Presented to Sarah Palin, February 16, 2010, Arkansas Republican Party," the rifle was a gift to the former Alaska governor, who headlined a Republican Party fundraiser last week at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. Palin made note of the gift in the opening lines of her speech. "I scored a .44 Magnum. It's beautiful, and I thank you," she told the crowd, as if the people of Arkansas themselves had bored the barrel, carved the stock and engraved the brass receiver. The man responsible for the donated rifle was a New Jerseyite, Anthony Imperato, president of Henry Repeating Arms Company in Bayonne (his family once operated an arms company in Jacksonville). He presented the one-of-a-kind gun to Palin in a backstage ceremony before her speech. There was at least one other gun in the building that night. On one of the silent-auction tables flanking the speaker's dais, past a photo of Ronald Reagan and a photo of Palin framed together and titled "Voices of Conservatism," was another Henry rifle. It was exactly like Palin's but with its own distinct serial number: GOP-001... http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=9c7ddc9f-473b-4975-9e91-28a2ce0d9e17 --- Amazing!: On Feb. 8, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Tacoma Seaport seized a shipment of 30 machineguns (M-4 automatic rifles) that arrived in a 40-foot ocean container on Oct. 20, 2009. The shipment, shipped from a manufacturer in Taiwan, manifested only as "Toys and Parts" and was valued at nearly $10,000. CBP officers targeted the merchandise for an intensive examination and upon physical inspection of the container, found the rifles. The rifles were of the same size, weight and look of an M-4 automatic rifle - the weapon used by the United States military. The rifles had no serial numbers on them, as a genuine gun would, but also did not have an orange-blaze tip which is required for all importations of toy guns. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents responded to the warehouse where the shipment was unloaded for CBP inspection, and took a sample rifle for evaluation by the ATF Firearms Technology Branch. On Jan. 25, the ATF sent a determination to CBP disclosing that in their imported condition the rifles were tooled to shoot plastic balls. However, replacement of internal components with original machinegun components could be accomplished within a short period of time, thus rendering the rifles capable of firing live ammunition. ATF lab results indicated the rifle Airsoft M-4 copy [sic]. (Who knew that failure to place an orange tip on an Airsoft gun would allow it to fire military ammunition. Or did F Troop neglect to mention that they used a smaller caliber, such as .22 LR? Was any machining required to fit the M4 firing mechanism? I recognize that replica guns are converted to fire live ammo and sold illicitly in Britain but have not heard that it is occurring here. The ATF Firearms Technology Branch has not exactly garnered a reputation for objectivity.) http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/02242010.xml --- Breast Implant May Have Saved Woman's Life: When a gunman stormed a Simi Valley dental office last summer and shot Lydia Carranza in the chest, salvation may have come in the shape of her size-D breast implant. That's the theory at least of a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon who hopes to drum up support to defray the costs of Carranza's reconstructive surgery... The hospital where Carranza was treated is not prepared to make that call... But Scott Reitz, a firearms instructor and deadly-force expert witness with 30 years' experience in the LAPD, said that, although he was not involved in the case, the scenario Ghavami describes is entirely plausible. "Common sense would dictate that any time you have something that interrupts the velocity of the projectile, it would benefit the object it was trying to strike," he said. And because a saline implant is like a high-pressure bag full of salt water, it probably would provide more resistance than plain flesh, he said. "I don't want to say a boob job is the equivalent of a bulletproof vest," he added. "So don't go getting breast enhancements as a means to deflect a possible incoming bullet."... (Article mentions that the shooter used a rifle but does not mention caliber - I suspect a .22 rimfire.) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-silicone-bullet25-2010feb25,0,1532754.story --- Tangentially Related: It has not been a good week for the famed Miranda warning at the hands of the Supreme Court. In decisions issued on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Court ruled that confessions should be admitted at trial even when police interviewed suspects in circumstances that lower courts viewed as Miranda violations. The Court on Wednesday issued Maryland v. Shatzer, establishing new, more permissive rules for police who want to question a suspect for a second time after the suspect invokes Miranda's right to remain silent. The Maryland case came down a day after the justices decided Florida v. Powell, in which a 7-2 majority Court said that Florida's alternative wording of the Miranda warning is acceptable, even though it does not explicitly state that a suspect has a right to have a lawyer present during questioning... http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202444467846&src=EMC-Email&et=editorial&bu=National%20Law%20Journal&pt=NLJ.com-%20Daily%20Headlines&cn=20100225NLJ&kw=%27Miranda%27%20dealt%20one-two%20punch%20by%20high%20court&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1 ...Powell was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm after telling police he bought the weapon "off the street" for $150 for his protection. Before his confession, Powell signed a Miranda statement that included the words, "You have the right to talk to a lawyer before answering any of our questions. If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, one will be appointed for you without cost and before any questioning. You have the right to use any of these rights at any time you want during this interview." ... (Remember, if you are involved in a self-defense incident, it is best to say no more than to identify yourself as the victim of a life-threatening attack and, if applicable, to point out witnesses and physical evidence before either can disappear. It is better to spend a night in jail than to spend many years in prison - wait for an attorney!) http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/2008676-Supreme-Court-backs-police-on-questioning-subjects/ --- From AzCDL: SB 1102, the Senate version of Constitutional Carry may have been stalled by a few Senate Republicans "crossing the aisle" to vote with Democrats to add the Cheuvront amendment, but that doesn't mean it's "game over" for Constitutional Carry in Arizona. We are working with Senator Russell Pearce, the bill's sponsor, to find a way to move the bill forward in its proper form. There is still hope for the Senate version of the bill. Even though the situation in the Senate remains tenuous, all is still not lost. AzCDL plans ahead! At the beginning of this session, identical versions of Constitutional Carry were introduced in both the House and Senate. The House version, HB 2347, was assigned to both the Judiciary and Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS) committees. HB 2347 passed out of the MAPS Committee on February 3, 2010, by a 5-2 vote. Though it didn't seem to be moving in the House Judiciary Committee, Chairman Adam Driggs assured us that he supported the bill, and was only waiting to see that the concerns of stakeholders had been addressed via negotiated amendments. On Tuesday, February 23rd, true to his word, Representative Driggs withdrew HB 2347 from the Judiciary Committee. It will now be scheduled for a review by the House Rules Committee before heading to a floor debate in the Committee of the Whole. Please take a minute to thank Chairman Driggs for his support: http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/158343 . Amendments were made to the bills mainly to address law enforcement's concerns, but the underlying restoration of the right to carry concealed without a permit remains unchanged. As a result, most rank and file law enforcement organizations have dropped their opposition to the Constitutional Carry bills. The highlights of the current version of these bills include: - Eliminating the prohibition and penalties for law-abiding adults who carry a concealed weapon without a permit in Arizona except in places, like restaurants serving alcohol, where the law requires a CCW permit. - Increasing the penalties for criminals who carry a concealed weapon in the commission or attempted commission of a serious, violent, or major felony crime. - Requiring a person carrying a concealed weapon to notify a Law Enforcement Officer, upon their request, that the person possesses a concealed weapon. - Adding more training options for obtaining a CCW permit. - Eliminating the storage requirement for CCW permit holders who enter a "non-secure" public building. - Allowing LEOSA certified retired Law Enforcement Officers to carry on school grounds. - Requiring confiscated firearms to be sold to an appropriate retailer rather than destroyed. In other news, also on February 23rd, Representative Driggs released HB 2543, the House version of the firearms preemption bill, from his committee. HB 2543 passed out of the House Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS) Committee on February 17th by a vote of 7-1 with a recommendation for passage by the full House. SB 1168, the Senate version of the firearms preemption bill, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 22nd by a vote of 4-3 with a recommendation for passage by the full Senate. Both firearms preemption bills will be reviewed in their respective Rules Committees before proceeding to Committee of the Whole (COW) debates. SB 1153, the knife preemption bill, passed in the Senate Third Read on February 22, 2010 by a vote of 20-9 with one member not voting. It has been transmitted to the House. On February 24, 2010, HCR 2008, which would, subject to voter approval, establish a Constitutional right to hunt and fish, passed out of the House MAPS Committee by a vote of 6-1 with one member voting present. We received word that the Utah Firearms Freedom Act (SB 11) has passed their legislature, and is awaiting the Governor's signature. Sponsors of the Arizona Firearms Freedom Act (HB 2307 & SB 1098) have asked us to spread the word to encourage Utah Governor Gary Herbert to sign SB 11. His numbers are (toll free) 800-705-2464 and (local) 801-538-1000. Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts. If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts . AzCDL "tweets" from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens. You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL . AzCDL's Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC . These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew your membership today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html . AzCDL - Protecting Your Freedom http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html . Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved. -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. The tactics and skills to use a firearm in self-defense don't come naturally with the right to keep and bear arms. http://www.spw-duf.info .