Setback In Heller: In a brief order on today's order list the Supreme Court dashed the hopes of gun rights advocates who hoped to have two lawyers and additional time arguing their cause before the Supreme Court when it hears arguments in the historic case D.C. v. Heller on March 18. Without explanation, the Court denied the motion of Texas Solicitor General R. Ted Cruz for argument time on the side of Alan Gura of Gura & Possessky, who has argued the pro-Second Amendment position from the start of the case. But the Court did agree to give Solicitor General Paul Clement 15 minutes to argue, in addition to the 30 minutes for each side in the case. The Court's action can be read as a small but not insignificant victory for supporters of D.C.'s handgun control ordinance at issue in the case. http://www.law.com/jsp/dc/PubArticleDC.jsp?id=1203939950378 --- CCRKBA Calls For Investigation Of Ammo-Coding Campaign: The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today is calling on lawmakers in the states of Washington, Arizona, New York, Illinois, Hawaii and several other states to scrutinize legislation that would require ammunition coding, because it mandates a soul [sic] source monopoly for a Seattle-based company that owns the technology. Based on a story in the new edition of Gun Week, and a look at virtually identical legislation that has been introduced in several states, CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said there are serious questions that need to be addressed about these measures, and the effort to pass them into law. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/ccrkba-suggests-investigation-of-ammunition-coding-campaign,291194.shtml --- Park Rangers Protest Easing Of Gun Ban: Park rangers, retirees and conservation groups are protesting a plan by the Interior Department to reconsider regulations restricting loaded guns in national parks. The groups say current regulations requiring that visitors to national parks render their weapons inaccessible were working and have made national parks among the safest places in America. "Loaded guns are not needed and are not appropriate in our national parks," said Doug Morris, a retired park superintendent and member of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. The plan to reconsider the gun regulations "could break what is not broken and change the nature of our national parks," Morris said Monday. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5irWgvJzXz3UFknRjrJgjierKwnFwD8V1KB1O0 --- Both Sides Have Bills In Minnesota Legislature: Minnesotans would find it easier to claim self-defense if they shot someone but harder to buy a pistol in the first place under dueling gun proposals before the Legislature. While the bills have attracted little attention so far amid high-volume debates over transportation, taxes and health care, they demonstrate that long-running battles over gun control haven't ended... http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/15926837.html --- Campus Carry Bill Advances In Arizona: A Senate panel voted Monday to let students and staff at community colleges and state universities arm themselves for protection, but not their counterparts at public schools. The 4-3 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee came after Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, agreed to limit SB 1214 only to publicly operated colleges and universities. Johnson said it was not a change she wanted to make. But she conceded there are not enough votes for her original bill to also allow guns into K-12 schools...Approval of Johnson's legislation came as the House gave preliminary approval on voice vote to two separate measures easing restrictions on carrying a concealed weapon... http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/226896 http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0226guns0226.html --- Maine University Debates Campus Carry: ..."When an event of this magnitude happens, I focus on how the university and I can be of assistance to UMaine students," Dean of Students Robert Dana said. "I sent out a campus-wide e-mail informing students and faculty of the services available to them." Since the shootings at VT, UMaine has worked to update its emergency plans and brought the ... emergency siren to campus...Shortly after the NIU shootings, several students began posting to the UMaine forum. Trevor Taylor, a fourth-year biology major, made a post that received several replies. Taylor believes those who are able to legally carry a concealed gun outside of campus should be able to carry one on campus if they choose, including class. http://media.www.mainecampus.com/media/storage/paper322/news/2008/02/25/News/A.Right.To.Bear.Arms.On.Campus-3232221.shtml --- What Gives Them The Right?: In a ceremony that received virtually no attention in the American media, the United States and Canada signed a military agreement Feb. 14 allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis. The agreement, defined as a Civil Assistance Plan, was not submitted to Congress for approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty specifically authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations of the armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of a wide range of domestic civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics, to civil riots or terrorist attacks. (As JPFO points out, Canadian troops have no tradition of respect for the private ownership of firearms.) http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=57228 http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=403d90d6-7a61-41ac-8cef-902a1d14879d&k=14984 --- From AzCDL: (AzCDL has been a spectacularly successful organization during its short life. I urge all list members in Arizona to join if you haven't done so yet.) SB 1214, an AzCDL requested bill, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 25, 2008, by a narrow 4-3 partisan vote. An amendment that narrowed the scope of SB 1214 to public colleges or universities was also approved by the committee. SB 1214, as amended, proposes an exception to ARS 13-3102 (misconduct with weapons) for adults with CCW permits to carry concealed firearms on the grounds of public colleges and universities. Federal law (18 USC § 922(q)(2)(B)(ii)) already allows permit holders to possess firearms on school property. In other news, also on Monday February 25, 2008, the following important bills were voted out of the House Committee of the Whole (COW) with "do pass" recommendations for the House "Third Read." HB 2389 - An AzCDL requested bill removing the violations in ARS 13-3102 (misconduct with weapons), relative to the prohibitions for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit in vehicles. An amendment was passed in the House COW that further clarified that "misconduct with weapons" does not apply to a person carrying a weapon (without a CCW permit) "in or on a means of transportation, excluding any public transit." HB 2630 - An AzCDL requested bill that reduces the penalty for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit to a petty offense (except in the commission of a crime). Information on these bills and other legislation that AzCDL is tracking can be found at: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html . 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 .