NRA Appeals National-Park-Carry Ruling: The National Rifle Association on Friday appealed a federal court ruling that blocked a Bush administration policy allowing people to carry concealed, loaded guns in national parks. The decision, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, halted a regulation from the waning days of the Bush administration. The rule, which took effect in January, allowed visitors to carry a loaded gun into a park or wildlife refuge as long as the person had a permit for a concealed weapon and the state where the park or refuge was located allowed concealed firearms. Previously, guns in parks had been severely restricted. Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, said the group will pursue all legal and legislative options. The NRA had pushed for the Bush rule change and was granted legal standing in a lawsuit brought by gun-control advocates and environmental groups... (The legislative option sounds best to me. With the blue dog Democrats anxious to maintain their RKBA credentials, this may be the time to try that approach. I don't believe that Congress would be required to conduct an environmental-impact survey.) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/20/nra-appeals-ruling-blocking-guns-in-national-pa-1/ ...So what is the environmental impact that a concealed, holstered pistol might have in a park? Judge Kollar-Kotelly answers this question by explaining "that persons who possess concealed, loaded, and operable firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges will use them for any number of reasons, including self-defense against persons and animals." In other words, Judge Kollar-Kotelly believes that your right to self defense is harmful to the environment. As if to emphasize the point, Judge Kollar-Kotelly states on page 32 of the opinion that the question is not "whether persons carrying concealed firearms will use them more often than the general public, but rather, whether they will use them at all." (Emphasis in original)... http://www.examiner.com/x-5619-Atlanta-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d20-Self-defense-is-harmful-to-the-environment ...An apparently giddy Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, was quoted by the Associated Press noting, "We're happy that this headlong rush to push more guns into more places has been slowed." Darned right he's happy, but this has nothing to do with public safety or even the lengthy process under which the rule was adopted late last year. Contrary to what the Brady camp and its allies who sued to stop this rule are claiming, this change was not "sudden" or a "last minute bone" thrown to the evil "gun lobby." This process took a couple of years and went through an extended public comment period last year, and the gun ban lobby knows it. Public comments were being taken as far back as last spring, and everyone had a chance to weigh in, and was even extended an additional 30 days at the request of opponents like Kurt Repanshek. But, as it has now occurred to 65 Democrat members of the House of Representatives, the gun ban lobby is pretty good at stretching a falsehood (truth has nothing to do with it!)... http://www.examiner.com/x-4525-Seattle-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d20-Blocking-CCW-in-national-parks-helps-antigunners-suppress-the-truth ...I have a thought experiment. Imagine Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and Sarah Brady alone together in the wilderness, having backpacked miles from the nearest ranger facility. Now imagine an immediate threat--one that's been stalking them with deadly intent--confronts them, confident it has the advantage. Imagine this threat is capable of outrunning them and overpowering them. Imagine this threat has savage murder on its mind. Imagine the only thing that will stop this threat is lethal force--or the realization that they possess such capabilities. And they've come up short... http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d20-Judge-blocks-national-parks-gun-rule --- New Solicitor General Outlines Views: Newly confirmed Solicitor General Elena Kagan has laid out her views on the death penalty, guns, gay marriage and detainee due process rights - all issues certain to resurface should she emerge as a future Barack Obama Supreme Court pick... She says that foreign law can be used to interpret the U.S. Constitution in "some circumstances," like the Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. But she believes that the federal spying laws are constitutional and suggests that only on the rarest of circumstances could a president circumvent Congress to conduct warrantless spying... Regarding gun laws, Kagan says she has "no reason to believe that the court's analysis was faulty" in the 2008 Supreme Court case striking down the District of Columbia's strict gun-control laws. And she added that her office would likely "continue to defend" against constitutional challenges on various federal regulations concerning firearms... http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20283.html --- Shadowboxing for the RKBA: If you follow gun rights, you may have noticed that with the Obama administration, we seem to be swinging at shadows. As quickly as a threat appears and we mobilize against it, poof! It's gone... It seems that when it comes to guns, the administration dodges and weaves, advances and retreats. There are two ways we could see that: As ineptitude, in which Obama isn't capable of keeping his people marching to the same tune ...or as disingenuity, in which administration henchmen launch little, plausibly deniable, trial balloons. What if, for example, Obama or Holder or the ever-partisan Rahm Emanuel decided that they would make us chase shadows for awhile? Perhaps make us seem to cry "wolf" enough times that when the onslaught really comes, fewer people will be listening. That's just conjecture, of course. But one thing is certain: At some point, the jab will come at you from the shadows. When it does, you'd better have your guard up. http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d20-Shadow-boxing-for-gun-rights --- Army Commander Attempts Registration: A military commander at Fort Campbell in Kentucky demanded his soldiers give him the registration numbers of any guns they own privately and then reveal where they are stored. The order was stopped, according to base officials, when it was discovered the commander was not "acting within his authority." The original order was issued on the letterhead of Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment and said effective March 11, any soldier with a "privately owned weapon" was required to submit the information, along with any information about any concealed carry permit the soldier may have, and what state issued the permit... (List members may recall that a post commander in Alaska has banned his troops from carrying concealed off duty [http://www.usarak.army.mil/policies/PUBS-ACROBAT/USARAK_Policies/CGCOFS%20POLICY%20STATEMENT%2020.pdf].) http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92395 --- Bill Seeks Tax Fairness for Firearm Industry: Today, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) - the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry --applauded Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, for introducing legislation to rectify a longstanding inequity in the frequency with which firearms and ammunition manufacturers pay a federal excise tax on the products they sell. The firearms and ammunition excise tax (FAET) is a major source of wildlife conservation funding in the United States. The Firearms Fairness and Affordability Act (S. 632) will allow the firearms and ammunition industry to pay the FAET on a quarterly basis, the same payment schedule on which every other industry supporting conservation pays the federal excise tax. Joining Sen. Baucus in introducing this important bi-partisan legislation were Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), the current co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, and five other senators... http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-20-2009/0004992087&EDATE= --- The Beat Goes On: It's a Second Amendment right. Michigan law doesn't stand in the way. Bay County people are flocking to do it. This month, 84 applied for a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Twenty-three were for renewals, the rest were newcomers. That's more than twice the monthly average here. That's alarming. Some of the applicants told our reporter they were getting a permit to carry a concealed handgun for personal safety. That's even though the rate of crime isn't rising. Although, that insurance agent in Auburn did pretty well for himself last month, didn't he, when he shot one man and chased off another when they tried to rob his office. But he's the exception, not the rule... (The outlandish surge in applications [23 new applicants] surely must be alarming - to the county's criminals and to those government supremacists who perceive it as part of a nationwide trend, sparked by Big Brother's election.) http://www.mlive.com/opinion/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/03/concealed_weapons_permit_appli.html The fear of new limits on gun ownership under a Democratic administration and concern over personal safety during a weak economy could be fueling a boom in the number of people getting permits to carry handguns. According to figures provided by the Livingston County clerk, the number of permits issued in 2008 was nearly double the number issued the year before. The trend has continued in the early months of this year. Clerk Margaret Dunleavy reports that 438 concealed weapons permits were issued in 2007 and that number soared to 823 in 2008. That means 4,107 Livingston County residents (out of a population estimated at 184,662) are licensed to carry a handgun, according to the clerk's office. So far this year, the number of concealed gun permits issued in Livingston County has increased exponentially, with 146 in January, compared to 36 in January of last year, and 134 in February, as opposed to 42 in 2008. http://www.mlive.com/news/annarbornews/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1237560019141190.xml&coll=2 Gunmakers can thank a former New York senator and presidential candidate for an ongoing boom in gun sales, if you ask one local firearms vendor. George Nemec, owner of Nemec's Sport Shop & Farm & Garden Center in Warrensburg, said gun sales at his business began to increase about two years ago, after Sen. Hillary Clinton announced her intent to run for president. People were concerned about the possible impact of a Democratic president on the Second Amendment right to bear arms... http://www.poststar.com/articles/2009/03/20/news/local/14551013.txt The November election produced an unintended stimulus package for one industry: gun sales. About as soon as Democrats took control of both the White House and Congress last fall, people began lining up to buy guns at local shops. Ammunition has been flying off store shelves, merchants say. "Yes, there was a big rush," Christopher W. Drum, owner of CRS Weaponry in Port Richey, said. Sales boomed as much as 60 percent since November, although sales seem to be leveling off of late. "It was kind of wild for a while," Drum observed, with even grandmotherly types shopping for firearms. Costs of guns have been going up accordingly, with 21 manufacturers raising prices... http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/20/pa-gun-sales-are-booming-in-wake-of-obama-win/ While many shoppers are cutting back on spending, sales of one item continue to soar. Buyers across the Ozarks are snapping up firearms in record numbers as some people worry the new government will result in major changes to gun laws. The lines at Loftis Jewelry and Pawn Brokers in Springfield are only getting longer as the new administration plans to tighten gun laws around the country. "There are times on Fridays and Saturdays where you can't even see the gun counters. It gets so busy that people have to just mingle around, look at other stuff through the store because they can't even get up to the counters to see the guns and stuff that are in the showcases," says co-owner, Darrell Loftis... http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=129972 --- Fenty Would Accept RKBA in Exchange for DC Vote: Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said he believes that District residents support pushing a voting rights bill through Congress even if it means the city's gun control laws would be weakened by an amendment being offered by gun rights supporters... "Hopefully, it will be resolved, and I think there's a couple of strategies in play," Fenty said during an interview for "Voices of Power," a Post online series about Washington power players. "But if we had to make that call on a close margin, I do believe a majority of District residents say: 'Give us the vote. Give us the vote, and we hate this gun law, but we'll find a way to get rid of that if necessary.' " The mayor's position appeared to differ from that of several D.C. Council members, who have questioned whether the city should support the legislation if it means loosening the firearms restrictions. The Senate already has approved a similar D.C. vote bill with an amendment that would overturn the gun control laws. The council passed a resolution opposing the move... (Never mind that the RKBA is guaranteed by the Constitution and Congressional representation for DC is banned by it.) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/03/19/ST2009031904131.html http://wjz.com/local/vote.gun.2.963915.html --- Kansas Could Clarify RKBA Guarantee: A Senate committee has endorsed a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to guarantee an individual's right to own a gun. The Judiciary Committee's unanimous voice vote Friday sent the measure to the Senate for debate. It's a response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that says the federal constitution's Second Amendment grants individuals the right to bear arms. The Kansas Constitution says: "The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security." But a 1905 Kansas Supreme Court decision says it's a collective, not an individual, right. The proposed amendment would give the right to each person. If both legislative houses adopted the proposal by two-thirds majorities, it would be put to a statewide vote. http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1097516.html Before you mess with Ashely Tombaugh be warned, she may be packing heat. "If a big guy comes after me I'm not going to be able to take them down fighting-wise, but I will have my protection!" Tombaugh says. This single mother is among the growing legion of Kansans taking up arms... This nationwide trend follows the election of a Democratic president and a Congress that many believe will push for tougher gun control... Kansas state lawmakers are taking action as well. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously endorsed a state constitutional amendment to specifically guarantee an individual's right to own a gun. http://www.kansascw.com/Global/story.asp?S=10046378 State Constitutional RKBA Provisions: http://www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/beararms/statecon.htm --- RKBA Bills Advance in Tennessee Senate: ...The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Firearms and Ammunitions Legislation recommended ten bills for passage this week aimed at revising Tennessee's gun laws and assuring the Second Amendment rights of citizens "to keep and bear arms." Earlier this year, Senate Judiciary Chairman Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) referred 47 bills to the Subcommittee chaired by Senator Mike Faulk (R-Church Hill) for review. These bills range from permit confidentiality to a legal permit holder's right to carry in public places... http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/03/20/capitol-hill-week-firearms-carry-law-tops-agenda/ --- New York Could Tighten Private-Party Sales: The sale of guns (firearms, rifles, or shotguns) at auctions, flea markets, or garage sales would be considered a "gun show" in New York, according to legislation cosponsored by Senator Eric T. Schneiderman (D-New York City) and Assemblywoman Amy R. Paulin (D-Westchester)... A second measure pertaining to the sale of rifles or shotguns would require a sale to be conducted through a federally licensed firearms dealer. "The bill provides for the return of the firearm to the appropriate party, should the sale of the firearm constitute a violation of the penal law," Paulin said. "This bill does not apply to the sale of firearms in four specified situations: sales to federally licensed firearms dealers; sales of an antique rifle or shotgun, a collector's item, a device not designed or redesigned for use as a rifle or shotgun, or designed solely for use as a signaling, safety, or similar device, or an unserviceable rifle or shotgun; sales to purchasers authorized to purchase on behalf of a law enforcement agency; and sales to immediate family members, which include spouse, natural and adoptive parents, children and siblings, stepparents, stepchildren and step-siblings, fathers-, mothers-, brothers-, sisters-, sons- and daughters-in-law, and grandparents and grandchildren." ... http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/?id=1166 --- Do as I Say, Not as I Do: Democrat State Sen. Eric "Show Me the Muh-ney!" Adams carries a concealed handgun and wants to arm his staff for travel around his high-crime Central Brooklyn district - but at the same time wants to make it tougher for you to have a weapon for our personal protection. Adams, whose rant for a pay raise was immortalized in a YouTube video, wants to hire an ex-cop to escort staff on trips throughout his district. "It's not for me," he said. "I'm my own bodyguard. It's mainly for my female staff." Adams told The Post he carries his own gun when home in Brooklyn, but leaves it in a drawer when he's at work in Albany... But while Adams has no problem increasing the number of guns on the street in his Brooklyn Senate district, he's one of Albany's most ardent anti-gun lawmakers, earning a failing grade from the NRA for his positions... (Leaving a gun in a drawer does not meet my concept of Rule Five - Maintain control of your firearm.) http://nydailybalance.blogspot.com/2009/03/anti-gun-democrat-packs-pistol-back.html --- Open-Carry Incident in Ohio: Tuesday evening, Bill Carlisle went to a Parma Taco Bell while openly carrying a firearm, a legal activity in Ohio. As he was leaving, he was detained by Parma police and spent approximately 20 minutes waiting for it to be cleared up and eventually released. During the course of the stop, Carlisle repeatedly plead his case that open carry is legal and that simply carrying a gun was not cause to be detained. The police officers on the scene offered up numerous scenarios and explanations while waiting to hear back from a supervisor whether or not he had broken any laws. One such reasoning for the stop was simply that it was unusual, and that had this been Alaska, there would have been no problem. Carlisle captured the incident on tape... http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d20-Fox-news-in-Ohio-covers-open-carry-of-a-firearm --- California Sheriff to Revoke CWP of GOP Figure: Sheriff Sandra Hutchens is taking aim at the most politically charged gun permit in Orange County. Hutchens this week notified attorney Mike Schroeder, the main adviser and closest ally to former Sheriff Mike Carona, that she is terminating his permit to carry a concealed weapon. Schroeder, the former chairman of the state Republican Party, said he's not happy and plans to fight back. "I believe that the action they are taking violates the law. And I'm reviewing what my legal options are at this point," Schroeder said. "I do believe that the sheriff has very broad discretion as to whether or not to issue a CCW, yet her claims that the law requires her to refuse to issue CCWS in most circumstances is simply false. Schroeder added, "She should own the fact that she comes from a Los Angeles law enforcement perspective that is anti-gun and simply doesn't want most people to be able to receive a (permit)." ... (Hutchens continues to confuse the extremely restrictive guidelines of the L.A. Sheriff's Department with state law.) http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hutchens-permits-county-2341444-gun-issue --- Oops, Wrong Camper: Deputies have identified the burglar shot to death by their intended victim Friday morning as a teenager who lived in the neighborhood. Deputies say the shooting happened around 4 a.m. while the thief was breaking into a camper set on a pickup truck parked in the driveway at 91 Willoughby Drive. "I've never heard of anything in this neighborhood happen to that aspect," said neighbor Kristen Libberth. Homeowner Sterling Misener, 44, heard an alarm and went out to the vehicle. Investigators say 19-year-old Patrick Allan Hutchison, of Wickliffe Drive, came out of the camper and lunged at Misener, who shot the teen... http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=27288&z=3 --- When Guns Are Outlawed...: A Chinese soldier was shot dead outside a military garrison in the south-western city of Chongqing, state media have reported. The 18-year-old soldier, Han Junliang, was on sentry duty when he was attacked by one or more assailants, who shot him dead then stole his submachine gun. The police and military have launched a joint investigation, the report said. Private gun ownership is illegal in China. The government has acknowledged trouble in dealing with armed gangs. Analysts say there are tens of thousands of smuggled weapons or guns illegally manufactured inside China... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7954712.stm --- From AzCDL: Legislation is still poking along. A couple of weeks ago, the House Leadership directed House committees not to hear any further House bills, with limited exceptions, for the remainder of this session. The following pro-rights bills have been heard in House committees, and are still viable. HB 2439, the AzCDL-requested CCW training reform bill, passed out of the House MAPS committee on March 4th. On March 16th it passed out of the House Rules committee. HB 2439 provides for an alternative 4 hour CCW course dealing in legal issues, mental conditioning, and judgmental shooting decisions, for qualified individuals who can show proof of prior firearms training. HB 2474 passed out of the House Judiciary committee on March 5th. HB 2474 prevents any private or public employer, property owner, etc. from banning any person from keeping a firearm in a locked vehicle in a parking area on the property, with specific, limited exceptions. HB 2177, a "strike-all" bill that now contains pro-rights language, passed out of the Natural Resources and Rural Affairs (NRRA) committee on February 16th. HB 2177 allows a person with a valid concealed weapons permit to possess, transport or carry a weapon within a game refuge. From here, HB 2474 and HB 2177 need to be reviewed by the House Rules committee. After the Rules committee, bills are debated by the full House in the "Committee of the Whole" (COW), where more amendments may be offered. We will notify you when important legislation proceeds to the House COW. The Senate has still not assigned any non-budget bills to committees, but the Senate Leadership has stated they will extend the March 13th deadline for assigning bills. AzCDL-requested bills that were filed in the Senate and are awaiting committee assignments and hearings include SB 1270 (Constitutional Carry) and SB 1243 (Defensive Display). Even with an extended deadline in the Senate, bills must still be passed out of their respective committees by April 10th in order to be heard in the House. That means about 400 Senate bills are competing for a deadline less than 3 weeks away. Most will probably never get a hearing. AzCDL is working to ensure that SB 1270 and SB 1243 do not become casualties of scheduling inconvenience. We are closely monitoring the situation in the Senate, and we're ready to exploit any opportunity that may arise. Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these 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 © 2009 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 .