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NRA Head Compares Anti-Trump Protester Violence to Terrorism
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The head of the National Rifle Association painted anti-Donald Trump protesters as violent extremists and compared their disruptions to terrorism during a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.
"Ladies and gentlemen, another definition of terrorism is violence in the name of politics," said Wayne Lapierre, executive director of the NRA. "And criminal violence has no place in political debate."
Police have clashed, at times, with crowds gathered to protest the new president. ...
Lapierre's comments were among the strongest against the left and the media during the conference in which bashing those opposing Trump's agenda has been a prominent theme.

AZ: Murder conviction overturned for lack of self-defense claim
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A man convicted of killing two people outside a party in 2013 did not get a fair trial because the judge would not let jurors consider his claim of self defense, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled Friday.

The judges said there was more than enough evidence to conclude that Antajuan S. Carson Jr. feared for his life when he shot and killed Stanford Bell, 18, and Javone Milne, 20, in the 7900 block of Senate Street in Tucson. Judge Michael Miller, writing for the unanimous court, said the record shows that Carson was being violently assaulted by a group of people before the shooting.

NY: Exploring America's Love Affair with Lethal Self-Defense
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It was the 2012 killing of black teen Trayvon Martin that brought these laws into the national spotlight, but their origins can be traced back to Colonial times. Harvard researcher Caroline Light says "Stand Your Ground" laws only truly serve the most privileged people in the America, while the most vulnerable members of our population people of color, women, transgender people are at the most risk of losing their lives or their freedom as a result of these laws.

MT: Restaurant Carry Legislation Passed Out of House
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On Thursday, the Montana House of Representatives voted 62-37 to pass House Bill 494. This important pro-carry legislation will now be transmitted to the Senate where it will await a committee referral. Please contact your state Senator and politely urge them to support House Bill 494 when it comes up for a vote.

Sponsored by state Representative Seth Berglee, HB 494 would allow law-abiding Montanans to carry a firearm for self-defense while patronizing a restaurant where alcohol is not the primary item of sale. An individual should not be prevented from carrying a firearm for self-defense while dining in a restaurant that serves alcohol.

A Fourth Circuit Trifecta: New Rulings Confirm Need for Judges who Respect Second Amendment Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Anyone still unconvinced about the importance of the courts and the need for justices who support Second Amendment rights had plenty of food for thought this month, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issuing two anti-gun opinions in rapid succession. These follow a troubling decision in January, United States v. Robinson, addressed in a previous alert.

TX: Senate Introduces Companion Bill to Protect Second Amendment Rights of Military Families
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Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate this week to protect the Second Amendment rights of spouses of military members. The Protect Our Military Families 2nd Amendment Rights Act allows spouses of active duty service members to purchase firearms in the state where they live due to military orders.

Currently, the Gun Control Act of 1968 mandates that citizens can legally only purchase a handgun in the state where they are considered residents. Exceptions were made for active duty military members but not their spouses.

AL: Mobile Co. Sheriff calls proposed Alabama pistol permit bill dangerous
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Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran is standing his ground when it comes to the newly proposed Alabama pistol permit bill. The pre-filed bill calls for the state to do away with the pistol permit requirement. If passed, anyone over the age of 18 can buy a gun and conceal carry.

This would be a terrible law, Cochran said.

Alabama Senator Gerald Allen, a Republican, has been pushing to pass this bill for some time. Supporters of the bill, including gun rights group BamaCarry, say that people should not have to pay to exercise their constitutional right. In a blog post on the groups website, they say in part:

Official DRGO Statement Regarding 11th Circuit Court Wollschlaeger (FOPA) Decision
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Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership is very concerned about this decision.

Disregarding the amicus brief in which DRGO, SAF, and CCRKBA pointed out the applicability of the Gentile Balancing Test to this case, the court arrived at a ruling which allows doctors to say whatever they please about firearms.

When professional medical organizations are on record saying their aims are to reduce firearms ownership, we cannot trust their guidance to be objective or impartial.

FL: Self-defense Bill in House Criminal Justice Comm.
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The critically important self-defense bill, HB-245, was heard by the House Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday, February 22, 2017, andPASSED 9-4.

Once again State Attorney Phil Archer, left his job in Brevard/Seminole County to travel to Tallahassee to testify against your self-defense rights and the constitutional rights of the citizens he was elected to serve in the 11th Judicial Circuit.

Archer made it clear that the convenience of prosecutors and the desires of the State Attorney's office was far more important than protecting the constitutional rights of innocent citizens. And that convictions -- not justice -- are the priority of prosecutors.

Nothing More Feminist Than Self-Defense, Gun Rights Advocate Says
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A panel of women said that gun rights should be a feminist issue Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC.

During the discussion, Antonia Okafor, a student at the University of Texas at Dallas and campus carry advocate, said gun rightsand the ability to independently protect yourselfare the very epitome of feminism.

How much more feminist can you get than by talking about self-defense and advocating for that, Okafor said.

NC: Fatal shooting at Rock Hill nightclub ruled self-defense
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Authorities say the 76-year-old owner of a Rock Hill nightclub will not face charges for fatally shooting a 28-year-old patron last month.

York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said Friday an investigation concluded that Elijah "Mac" Teal shot Christopher Elkins in self-defense about 1 a.m. Jan. 15.

Authorities say Elkins and a group of friends were escorted to the parking lot of the private Hideaway Club after a fight, but Elkins came back. When Teal refused to let Elkins back in, Elkins struck the owner in the head.

According to a news release, Teal then shot Elkins twice. One of the bullets hit Elkins in the ribcage area.

TX: Second Amendment rights aren't a gift from the courts
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The majority opinion begins with an appeal to emotion, by citing a list of recent shootings. It then goes on to invent an entirely new test for Second Amendment policy - whether guns or devices have a military purpose.

Whatever their other potential, the court wrote, such weapons are unquestionably most useful in military service. That is, the banned assault weapons are designed to kill or disable the enemy on the battlefield.

These military combat features have a capability for lethality - more wounds, more serious, in more victims - far beyond that of other firearms in general, including other semiautomatic guns.

FL: Standing your ground may get easier
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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A move to shift the burden of proof in stand your ground self-defense cases is off to a fast start in the House, where the controversial proposal died a year ago.

The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, voted 9-4 along party lines Wednesday to approve the National Rifle Association-backed measure (HB 245), which would shift the burden of proof from defendants to prosecutors during pre-trial hearings in stand your ground cases.

IA: Gun Bill Gets House Subcommittee Hearing Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
A bill dealing with a wide range of gun-related issues was the subject of a sometimes emotional hearing at the Iowa statehouse this past week. Representative Matt Windschitl, a Republican from Missouri Valley, is a leading gun rights advocate in the House. Windschitl says his aim is to protect Iowans at all costs.

IA: House bill provides overdue gun reforms
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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House Study Bill 133 will offer some common-sense gun reforms to Iowas firearms and use of force laws that will allow Iowa to catch up to other states in individual gun rights.

This bill combines many overdue proposals that have been proposed individually and have seen the Capitol floor before. HSB133 includes changes to concealed carry permitting, including uniform permitting from county to county, protecting the privacy of carry permit holders, and removing the need for a permit beyond the traditional background check to purchase a firearm.

Proposed Executive Order Designating Certain Rifles for Militia Purposes
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The faulty Fourth District decision issued last week upholding Marylands Scary Gun Ban runs afoul of good jurisprudence. The ruling found that Second Amendment protections dont extend to individuals who wish to own certain semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15, calling them, weapons that are most useful in military service. However, a document sent to me yesterday offers hope of correcting that in the form of a proposed executive order to be issued by President Trump.

Virginia attorney Lenden Eakin sent me the text of the proposed order and gave permission to share it. Id like run it past the Armed Intelligentsia here at TTAG to get your take.

Ed.: Just a proposal, no indication Trump is considering anything like this.

NV: Gun Bills Scheduled for Hearings Next Week
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Senate Bill 115, sponsored by state Senator Moises Denis (D-2), would expand the list of places firearms are prohibited from being carried and kept in vehicles to include public libraries. The motivation behind this bill likely stems from an incident last year where a mother of three, who home schools her children, was detained and handcuffed for open carrying in a public library even though its not prohibited under current law. SB 115 has been scheduled for a hearing Tuesday, February 28, at 1:30pm. Please contact members of the committee and urge them to OPPOSE SB 115!

Pence wins highest NRA award, no mention of guns during speech
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Vice President Mike Pence was given the National Rifle Associations highest award Thursday night, though the iconic flintlock rifle which typically accompanies the bestowment was nowhere in sight.

Perhaps as scarce as any gun prop on stage during Pences speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference was the talk of guns or gun policy.

Pence lauded the work of President Trump in keeping his promise to strengthen the nations military and applauded his nomination of Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court in the tradition of the late and great Justice Antonin Scalia.

WA: Anti-Gun Legislation Could be Heard on the Floor Next Week
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The Substitute for House Bill 1122 would require Washington gun owners to lock up all of their firearms or potentially face reckless endangerment charges. Further, under this bill the penalty for a reckless endangerment charge involving a gun storage violation would be a Class C Felony. This intrusive government legislation invades peoples homes and forces them to render their firearms useless in a self-defense situation by locking them up. House Bill 1122 is a solution in search of a problem.

NH: Constitutional Carry: New Hampshire Women make history
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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On Wednesday, Governor Chris Sununu signed into law Senate Bill 12, which is also known as Constitutional Carry. At the signing, something you wont hear about from the main stream media in New Hampshire, were many women who supported the bill and helped fight for it, members of the Womens Defense League of New Hampshire. The organization was at the forefront of the Constitutional Carry fight from the very beginning over two years ago and many members were at the signing to celebrate the reward from so many years of work.

It was Susan Olsen, Legislative Director for the Womens Defense League (The League), who spent hours researching the origins of the pistol/revolver licensing law in New Hampshire.

GA: Georgia Rep. Lumsden: The Second Amendment is a Right, NOT a Privilege
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HB 280 would allow people with their Georgia Weapons License (GWL) to carry concealed on all property owned or leased by a public institution of post-secondary education. There are minimal exemptions, sports facilities, student housing including sororities and frat houses, and campus preschools. Rep. Lumsden, who is in favor of this bill, points to the Second Amendment in part, for his support of the right to carry on college campuses.

Amicus Briefs Filed in Support of Petition for Supreme Court Review in Peruta Right-to-Carry Case
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In January, California Rifle & Pistol Association attorneys filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court asking the Court to review the NRA-supported case of Peruta v. California, which seeks to confirm that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry a firearm for self-defense.

Last week, a number of important amicus curiae briefs were filed in support of plaintiffs petition urging the Supreme Court to take the case. These critical briefs come from a number of diverse and influential sources, including state governors and twenty-six states. NRA also filed an amicus brief focusing on the text and history of the Second Amendments bear arms provision.

Women with guns: The next threat to the Democratic Party
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Abby Ross never spent time around guns until a little more than a decade ago. "I grew up on Staten Island," she said. "Hunting or gun use was not part of our family traditions."

Now she handles guns with ease for hunting, sport and training. And she's one of a growing number of women venturing into the world of guns, either as part of the outdoor experience or for self-defense.

Women increasingly have become a profitable new target customer for gun-shop owners and firearms manufacturers.

SD: House Passes Constitutional/Permitless Carry Legislation
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Yesterday, the South Dakota House of Representatives passed House Bill 1072 by a 37 30 vote. Sponsored by Representative Lynne DiSanto (R-35), HB 1072 would remove the requirement to obtain a permit in order to lawfully carry a firearm for self-defense. This important pro-self-defense legislation is a big step forward in allowing South Dakotans to be better able to defend themselves and their loved ones without having to obtain a government issued permit. HB 1072 now moves to the South Dakota Senate where it will await a committee referral. Please contact your state Senator and urge them to SUPPORT House Bill 1072.

CA: Gun owner group meets Sunday in Poway
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A regional forum promoted by a Second Amendment rights group will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts.

The San Diego County Gun Owners, which describes itself as a political action committee, is sponsoring its 2017 Regional Firearms Law Conference, according to a press release. The public is invited to attend and learn about recent laws regarding firearms, including pistols, rifles, shotguns and accessories such as concealed weapons permits, ammunition and ammunition magazines, the release said.

NV: Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt leaves CPAC optimistic for conservatives in his state Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There is 1 comment on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
He says one topic crucial to Nevadans is protecting the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is one of our most important rights, something that I have fought for, something that I believe in, and obviously it is something important to Nevadans, said Laxalt.

CT: More states are allowing people to carry concealed handguns without a permit
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New Hampshire this week passed a law allowing residents to carry a concealed handgun without a permit, joining a growing number of states that are allowing residents to carry weapons out of sight without a license.

At least 11 states have passed laws allowing the concealed carry of guns without a permit, and 16 states have introduced legislation this year to do the same, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Rifle Association. Gun rights advocates see the laws as the next frontier in Second Amendment rights. But the legislation has been controversial in many places where it has been introduced, with some in law enforcement, politicians and gun proponents arguing that the bills go too far.