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IL: Chicago too lax on gun crimes, city's judicial system a 'joke,' critics say
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The Cook County court system, largest in the country, is traditionally very, very soft on most gun charges,” said Jim Warren, a policy and politics columnist for U.S. News & World Report. Warren called Chicago’s judicial system a “joke.”
In 2016, 762 people were murdered in Chicago. More than 4,000 people were shot. Police recovered more than 5,000 guns from the streets.
Yet, federal prosecutors tried just 123 gun cases last year.
Submitters note: One might easily conclude that locking up criminals doesn't fit the liberal agenda. You need high crime rates to support calls for more gun control. |
IN: Guns and the Statehouse — a dangerous obsession
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Often in Indiana, we see two realities. There’s the reality in our communities, where ordinary Hoosiers struggle with complex, practical problems. Then there’s the reality inside the Statehouse, where state leaders often fall back on simplistic, ideological solutions.
Prime example: The Indiana House last month passed HB 1071, which would allow domestic violence victims to obtain and carry a handgun without a license as soon as a protective order is issued. Lawmakers say the bill would help victims better protect themselves from abusers. That’s one version of reality. |
ND: ND legislation could allow RAs to keep guns in dorm room, university system official says
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A bill being considered by North Dakota lawmakers could allow university residence hall directors and resident assistants to store a firearm in their dorm rooms, drawing concern from the North Dakota University System.
But a Republican lawmaker said the bill isn't aimed at university residences and includes adequate safeguards.
House Bill 1279 adds new language to a section of state law exempting certain people from the ban on guns at public gatherings. It would cover a public employee who, "through the course of the individual's employment," resides in and stores a firearm or dangerous weapon in their government-owned residence. |
AZ: Giffords urges lawmakers to enact reasonable gun restrictions
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Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and husband Mark Kelly have a message for Arizona lawmakers: Enact reasonable gun restrictions or we'll help elect people who will.
And if necessary, Kelly, co-founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions with Giffords, said the group will take its case directly to voters.
At a press conference Thursday to launch the Arizona Coalition for Common Sense, Kelly acknowledged the political hurdles here.
"Arizona is different,' he said, with a long history of -- and relationship with -- firearms. "Arizona could be a tricky state when you consider this.' |
TN: House to Consider Self-Defense Legislation on Monday
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On Monday, March 20, the Tennessee House of Representatives is scheduled to consider and vote on House Bill 752. Please contact your state Representative and politely urge them to SUPPORT House Bill 752.
House Bill 752, sponsored by state Representative Tilman Goins, would allow a person, who is granted an order of protection and who is not otherwise a prohibited person according to state or federal law, to carry a firearm for 60 days after the initial order of protection is issued. This would allow a person under an order of protection to exercise his or her right to self-defense while allowing time to complete the Tennessee handgun carry permit process. |
MS: Air Force veteran said he was defending himself and a jury believed him
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A jury Thursday acquitted a Biloxi man of murder in the October 2009 shooting death of a man who was staying at his home.
Harvill Richardson Sr. was first convicted in the Oct. 20, 2009, killing of Rudy Quillon, 55, at Richardson’s home on Old Highway 67 in Biloxi, but the Supreme Court overturned the 2011 conviction.
The Supreme Court ruled the court erred when it did not allow a jury to hear a self-defense claim to show Richardson’s state of mind at the time of the killing. The high court said the state also erred by arguing Quillon’s violent criminal history could not be used in Richardson’s defense. |
MD: Multiple Gun-Bills on the Move in the Legislature
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On Monday, March 20, the Maryland Senate is scheduled to consider Senate Bill 946. It is important that NRA members and Second Amendment supporters contact their state Senator and politely urge them to support committee amendments to SB 946.
Senate Bill 946, an anti-gun bill sponsored by Senator Smith, creates a federally prohibitive criminal penalty for the possession of a firearm on a college campus in Maryland. Those with wear and carry permits do not present a threat to public safety, as they are one of the most law-abiding segments of the population. Current law already allows each university to set its own policy regarding the carrying or possession of firearms. |
House Stops VA from Finding Vets Mentally Unfit to Own a Gun
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The House passed on Thursday a bill to prohibit Veterans Affairs from blocking a veteran from buying a gun by labeling them mentally unfit, requiring a judiciary authority to make that determination.
The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), states “a person who is mentally incapacitated, deemed mentally incompetent, or experiencing an extended loss of consciousness shall not be considered adjudicated as a mental defective" by the VA "without the order or finding of a judge, magistrate, or other judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that such person is a danger to himself or herself or others." |
AL: Bill Would Let People Carry Concealed Gun Without Permit
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Alabama lawmakers are considering a controversial bill that would do away with the requirement of a conceal and carry permit.
Anyone who owns a gun could travel with that gun in their car or hidden on their person without any consequences.
This bill has raised a lot of questions, most notably from the law enforcement community.
While some say this promotes second amendment rights, not everyone is on board. |
ID: 'Stand your ground' bill shot down
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It also would have specified there is no duty to retreat before using deadly force to defend one’s self or another, while in any location. This is similar to the “stand your ground” laws that some states have passed, and it contrasts with other states that impose a duty to retreat before using deadly force.
Some gun-rights supporters thought the bill didn’t go far enough, and some lawmakers on the Senate State Affairs Committee thought it might go too far, or that it didn’t take enough of existing case law into account. |
IN: Victim Defense Bill Needs Your Help
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With the end of the Indiana 2017 legislative session approaching, the Senate Judiciary Committee must decide whether they will consider House Bill 1071. It is imperative that HB 1071 be considered before time runs out. Please contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to consider and support HB 1071!
HB 1071, introduced by state Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57) and sponsored by state Senator Mark Messmer (R-48), previously passed the House of Representatives with a 72-26 vote and overwhelming bipartisan support. HB 1071 would ensure that victims of domestic violence are not left defenseless at their most vulnerable time while waiting for their carry permit to be approved. |
NE: Important Firearms Preemption Bill Passes Committee
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Today, Legislative Bill 68 advanced to the floor of the legislature from the Government, Military, and Veteran Affairs Committee with a 6-0-2 vote. Nebraskans are currently at risk for inadvertently violating the law as they travel through the state due to local gun ordinances that are more restrictive than state law. LB 68, sponsored by state Senator Mike Hilgers (LD 21), is an important bill that would help protect the Second Amendment rights of all Nebraskans by creating a preemption statute to eliminate this confusing patchwork of laws and ensure that firearm and ammunition laws are consistent throughout The Cornhusker State. |
Appeals Court: Officer Who Shot and Killed Innocent Man in His Own Home Cannot Be Sued
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Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in D.C. v. Heller, which affirmed an individual right to handgun ownership under the Second Amendment, [dissenting Justice] Martin wrote:
If Mr. Scott was subject to being shot and killed, simply because (as the District Court put it) he made the “fateful decision” to answer a late-night disturbance at the door to his house, and did so while holding his firearm pointed safely at the ground, then the Second Amendment (and Heller) had little effect. |
The DOJ’s Next Target
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In the first week of March, government lawyers made a similar about-face on the issue of gun safety, submitting a pair of little-noticed but revelatory motions in connection to cases in Georgia and Idaho.
...
With the two motions submitted earlier this month, the government has signaled that instead of continuing the fight, the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to change the regulation and hopes to settle the dispute in mediation instead of in court. “The Army Corps of Engineers is reconsidering the firearms policy challenged in this case, as well as plaintiffs’ requests for permission to carry firearms on Army Corps property,” the two motions read. “This reconsideration has the potential to fully resolve plaintiffs’ objections.” |
SD: Daugaard signs final bills of 2017 SD legislative session
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I herewith return to you House Bill 1072 with my VETO.
House Bill 1072 is an Act to repeal and revise certain provisions relating to permits to carry a concealed pistol.
The proponents of House Bill 1072 did not testify about problems that exist with our current permitting laws in the bill’s hearings. I am unaware of a single instance in which a person who could lawfully possess a gun was denied a permit to carry a concealed pistol. Our permit laws are effective in screening people who are not eligible to carry a concealed weapon. Over the last three years, Minnehaha and Pennington Counties have turned down nearly 600 permit applicants who were disqualified due to mental illness or due to violent or drug-related crimes. |
Book Recommendations for the Defensive Shooter
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Recently, two defensive shooting books have come across my desk that really impress me. In addition, both authors are respected trainers with some excellent knowledge to share with their students and readers. Now, we know that reading doesn't take the place of training. However, it can certainly help the defensive shooter find a direction and a shortcut to the kind of training that he desires.
The first of these books is “Protect Yourself With Your Snubnose Revolver” by Grant Cunningham. Besides being a trainer in all things having to do with self defense, Cunningham has authored several books and is especially respected for his knowledge regarding fighting with a double-action revolver. |
U.S. House Passes NRA-Backed Bill to Protect Second Amendment Rights of America’s Veterans
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On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1181, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, sponsored by Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate.
H.R. 1181 in many respects mirrors a recently enacted resolution to repeal an Obama-era Social Security Administration (SSA) rule that sought to deprive certain SSA beneficiaries of their Second Amendment rights.
A federal statute prohibits firearm acquisition or possession by anyone who has been “adjudicated as a mental defective.” The statute, however, does not define the meaning of this term. |
IA: Second Amendment, election integrity and workman’s comp top issues addressed
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We began the week debating the bill making modifications to the Iowa laws that pertain to the Second Amendment and our rights to keep and bear arms. The bill makes several improvements to laws currently on the books. It is currently completely illegal for anyone under 14 years of age to handle a handgun. The bill now would allow a person under 14 to learn handgun safety and handle and shoot a handgun under the supervision of a parent or instructor who is in the immediate proximity of the juvenile. Training requirements for a permit to carry a concealed weapon remain the same but the permit will now be issued for five years and the permit will be standardized state wide, replacing the county by county permits. |
ME: Public Weighs in on Wide Range of Proposed Gun Legislation
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A full day of public hearings on gun legislation at the State House Friday.
The wide range of bills include one that would prohibit the creation of a gun registry and another that would require gun locks with every sale of a firearm.
The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee heard passionate testimony from those in support and opposition of several recently proposed bills.
“Article 1, Section 16 in the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees our rights to own firearms. And keeping a database on people that own those firearms only serves one purpose – to confiscate those firearms eventually,” said David Trahan, Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. |
AL: Ozark mayor, others in Dale County oppose concealed weapon, pharmacy bills
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The city’s mayor and police chief joined the Dale County Sheriff and other elected and law enforcement officials to express opposition to two bills currently in the Alabama Legislature.
Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson and Ozark Police Chief Marlos Walker said Friday they oppose a bill that would remove the current permit requirement necessary to carry a concealed weapon in Alabama. ...
Senate Bill 24 would allow any citizen not previously convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or otherwise previously restricted from carrying a firearm to freely carry without first getting a permit. |
WV: Pro-Gun West Virginians: Plan to Attend U.S. Sen. Manchin’s March 18 Town Hall in Morgantown
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Tomorrow, Saturday, March 18th, at 3:00 p.m., your Senator Joe Manchin (D) will be hosting a town hall meeting in Morgantown.
This is a perfect opportunity for you to show your support for Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, and urge Sen. Manchin to vote to confirm Judge Gorsuch and return a pro-Second Amendment majority to the Supreme Court.
Senator Manchin is likely to be one of the deciding votes in Judge Gorsuch's confirmation and this is your chance to express your support.
Please make plans to attend this town hall meeting, as we need as many pro-gun voices to be heard as possible. |
Are Ear Plugs Better Than a Suppressor?
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An infographic accompanied the tweet with the additional claim “You know what protects your ears better than a silencer? Ear plugs.”
For an organization with “Responsible” in its name, ARS clearly has no concern over responsible reporting of “facts.” For starters, firearm suppressors without question protect the hearing of shooters and hunters. You don’t have to take our word for it; according to the Center for Disease Control (who isn’t known for being particularly friendly to firearm owners) “The only potentially effective noise control method to reduce students’ or instructors’ noise exposure from gunfire is through the use of noise suppressors that can be attached to the end of the gun barrel.” |
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