No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.2.3/281 - Release Date: 3/14/2006 CCW For Kansas?: The Kansas House of Representatives has passed the CCW bill by a vote of 90-33. Coupled with the earlier 29-1 vote in the Senate, the bill appears to have the ability to survive a veto by Governor Sebelius. http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62330 http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/14096749.htm --- Shall-Issue Bills Introduced In Delaware: Legislation to make it easier for law-abiding Delawareans to obtain permits to carry concealed handguns was introduced today in the state House - with enough sponsors to guarantee its passage in both chambers. http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060314/NEWS/60314024/1006/rss --- Stand-Your-Ground Bill In South Carolina: Citing his belief in the rights of everyday citizens, a state senator is introducing a bill that would make self-defense laws a little less strict. http://www.morningnewsonline.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=FMN%2FMGArticle%2FFMN_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834705348&path=!news --- Daley Delusional: Following two tragic shootings in Chicago, Mayor Daley also demanded that the state's 1.5 million law-abiding firearm owners travel to Chicago to appear before him and explain why their firearms should not be banned and confiscated. http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=\Nation\archive\200603\NAT20060314a.html Related Article: http://www.newstrib.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=19861&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=207 --- Oops, Wrong House: A pregnant mother in North Carolina fatally shot a man who persisted in breaking into her home after she warned him that she was armed. http://www.nbc17.com/news/8001286/detail.html --- Former Police Chief Shoots Intruder: a 78-year-old former chief of the New Mexico State Police shot and wounded a naked intruder he found in his home. (Note that the former chief was not carrying a gun and had to retrieve it from a separate room. This may reflect the attitude of the NMSP, which was less than friendly to the concept of licensed CCW for the public it serves.) http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=24754&cat=NMTOPSTORIES --- From AzCDL: One of the most important bills of the decade, SB 1145, which restores "innocent until proven guilty" in self-defense situations, will be heard in the House Judiciary committee on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 9:00 AM in House Hearing Room (HHR) 4 at the Arizona Capitol, 1700 W. Washington Street in Phoenix. SB 1145 will be assailed by opponents of YOUR freedom who will no doubt turn out in considerable numbers hoping to defeat it. Why you may ask? On February 13, 2006, amendments introduced and adopted by the Senate Judiciary Committee, changed a "castle doctrine" bill into the most significant legislation affecting anyone faced with a self-defense situation in Arizona. The text of SB 1145 as amended can be found here: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/47leg/2r/bills/sb1145s.pdf Simply put, this legislation restores the presumption of innocence in cases of self-defense. Present law, passed in 1997 through a floor amendment in the wee hours without discussion or debate, places the burden of proof on the VICTIM in self-defense cases. You are now in effect guilty unless you can prove your innocence. You must admit to the underlying criminal conduct, and then demonstrate that the guilt you admitted is false, by proving you were justified. It is a prosecutor's dream and the public's worst nightmare. A criminal now has better legal protection than a person who claims self-defense after an attack. Imagine being attacked by a knife welding robber outside a banking ATM. You respond by drawing your gun. The robber flees. You call police and report the incident. The police respond and take your statement and your gun. The robber is located nearby, walking along the street, but no knife is found. He tells police he is glad to see them because a man just pointed a gun at him without provocation outside the nearby bank. Here is what the prosecutor is faced with: If the robber is charged, the State must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, based entirely on your testimony. A unanimous jury verdict is required. That means the prosecutor must work to prove a case. But, if the prosecutor charges YOU, your statement and your gun establish an aggravated assault, thereby satisfying the State's burden. The prosecutor has no work to do. The robber's testimony further establishes that you pointed a gun at him "without provocation." YOU must prove that you were justified to act in self-defense based entirely upon your testimony. YOU must convince each juror that you acted justifiably. The robber's extensive prior criminal record is inadmissible to prove that he attacked you or that you acted in self-defense. If you want to prevent that scenario (or worse!) from happening to YOU, it's time to act. We now have an opportunity to restore "innocent until proven guilty" in Arizona by pushing for the passage of SB 1145. We need everyone's help to ensure that it passes. The bill has strong bipartisan support, having passed out of the Senate with a unanimous vote of 28-0 (2 not voting). However, opponents of YOUR freedom and the rule of law have ramped up their opposition, and will no doubt appear to express their opposition. Organizations like the Arizona Chiefs of Police (AZCOPS) and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys lost big time in the Senate and they are working very hard to kill SB 1145 in the House. We must not let this happen! We are asking those who are able to appear and demonstrate your support for SB 1145 and overwhelm its opponents. If you are unable to attend for any reason, your phone calls, faxes and emails will be an effective means of communicating your support. It would be much better to appear in person and personally demonstrate your solidarity and support, but your phone calls are still critical to this important fight. This bill has an emergency effective date; therefore it is absolutely essential that it pass with strong majority support of at least 40 Representatives. We need your help to make sure that is the case. First, it is critical that you contact House Judiciary committee members and let them know you want SB 1145 to be passed out of their committee with a recommendation for passage by the full House. Near the end of this Alert you will find a sample letter you can use. Below is a list of committee members, their email addresses and their phone numbers (You can also call use the toll free phone number 1-800-352-8404). Eddie Farnsworth (R) - efarnswo@azleg.gov (Chairman), 602-926-5735 Nancy Barto (R) - nbarto@azleg.gov (Vice-Chairman), 602-926-5766 Ray Barnes (R) - rbarnes@azleg.gov , 602-926-5503 Ted Downing (D) - tdowning@azleg.gov , 602-926-5108 Steve Gallardo (D) - sgallard@azleg.gov , 602-926-3392 Ben R. Miranda (D) - bmiranda@alzeg.gov , 602-926-4893 Jonathon Paton (R) - jpaton@azleg.gov , 602-926-3235 Doug Quelland (R) - dquellan@azleg.gov , 602-926-4639 Steven B. Yarbrough (R) - syarbrou@azleg.gov , 602-926-5863 Representative Yarbrough especially needs to hear from you. Below is a sample letter to cut-and-paste into an email message. ============================================================ Dear Representative (Name): The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) has informed me that SB 1145 is under consideration by your committee. I urge you to vote the bill out of committee with a recommendation for passage by the full House SB 1145, a "Castle Doctrine" bill is modeled after legislation recently passed in Florida and introduced this year in many states. It bolsters the right of self-defense against violent criminal attack. However, the most critical component of this legislation was adopted as a Senate committee amendment and is unique to Arizona. SB 1145 restores the burden of proof in self-defense cases to the state, where it appropriately rested from Arizona's territorial days until a change was quietly inserted into the Omnibus Criminal Code Bill of 1997. The 1997 change in the law runs contrary to one of the basic tenets of the American justice system - a citizen is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, a belief held dear for centuries. The current burden of proof in self-defense cases is unjust by every objective measure, evidenced by the fact that only one other state has a similar provision, and must be corrected immediately. Prosecutors enjoy the current law because it makes their jobs easier. The current system favors the conviction of an innocent citizen rather than the release of the guilty. This is contrary to the foundation of the American justice system. Opponents of SB 1145 will claim that, if passed, it will be impossible to convict gang members of violent crimes because they will claim self-defense. Prosecutors have yet to explain how 48 other states are surviving the scourge of gangs while their states bear the burden of proof, beyond a reasonable doubt, in self-defense cases. They weakly claim that Arizona is different that other states. While this may be true of the weather, it is false as it relates to the justice system. Gang affiliation can be introduced into evidence. Many jurors, no doubt, consider this. The most significant problem with prosecuting gang crimes is finding willing witnesses, not the burden of proof. Again, I ask for your support and vote on this important legislation. Sincerely, Your Name Street Address City, AZ zip-code (telephone number) ================================== 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 --- From NRA-ILA: Please Attend Pima Motorsports Public Meeting in Tucson, Arizona! IMPORTANT NOTICE Pima Motorsports Public Meeting AFFECTING POTENTIAL FUTURE GROWTH AND RANGE DEVELOPMENT AT SOUTHEAST REGIONAL PARK SHOOTING RANGE THURSDAY MARCH 16, 6:00 P.M. Pima County Natural Resources Parks & Recreation 3500 W. River Road Tucson, AZ 85741 Shooters show your support for shotgun sports and other shooting range development at Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range. Your help is needed! Please Attend! -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .