comments in () by Stephen Wenger
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From GOA: Thanks to you, a bill expanding gun control on federal land was narrowly defeated Wednesday morning, March 11. The Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009, S. 22, would have drastically increased the amount of land controlled by the National Park Service, thus subjecting such land to the anti-gun regulations of the agency. The bill was brought to the floor of the U.S. House on what is known as the "suspension calendar." This calendar is normally reserved for non-controversial bills. As such, any bill being passed under the suspension calendar requires a two-thirds majority of those voting.
In this case, the pro-gun position prevailed by a mere two votes - meaning S. 22 is far from being non-controversial… Although we won today, unfortunately the battle is not over…
http://gunowners.org/a031109htm.htm
---
DHS Boasts of Weapon Interdictions: A trio of weapons seizures in Arizona and Texas this week highlight the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) heightened emphasis on tracking and intercepting illegal guns and ammunition near the U.S.-Mexico border under Secretary Janet Napolitano… Agents in Arizona found five SKS rifles, two AK-47 rifles, two semi-automatic .9 mm pistols and one CVA .50 rifle, along with several thousands of ammunition rounds hidden in an ice chest. The two men in the truck, a U.S. citizen and a legal permanent resident from Mexico, were arrested… (A CVA .50-caliber rifle is actually a replica, single-shot muzzleloader.)
http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1236785322768.shtm
---
The Beat Goes On: After November's election, gun shops across the country saw a spike in sales, presumably because customers worried a new administration would make it tougher and more expensive to get a gun. Since then people are also buying ammo and now there's a shortage of it… We contacted the White House about the issue. In a statement to News 4 a White House spokeswoman says, "Millions of hunters and shooters own and use guns each year. The President of the United States believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. His administration is committed to protecting the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport and use guns." In the meantime it could take months for ammo makers to catch up to the shortage…
http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=9984474&nav=HMO6
If you're a hunter or gun owner, you already know how hard it's become to find guns or even basic accessories like ammunition or parts. Todd Borders is the Vice President of Borders Sporting Goods in Summit, Kentucky. He says finding guns these days isn't easy, even for shops like his. "Most all the other dealers I know are having a difficult time," Borders said. "The distributors even the manufactures are running full staff and they just can't keep up with the demand right now." Borders says sales have been strong for quite a while now. Since a certain day last November, to be exact. "It started the day after the election," Borders said. "I think people are concerned what they might take away." Sportsmen like David Stalvey are struggling to find the parts and ammunition they need. Their fear is that lawmakers in Washington might try to change guns laws…
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/41112102.html
Does U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder own stock in firearms manufacturers? His recent comment that the Obama administration might seek to reinstitute a federal ban on "assault weapons" only boosted gun sales that already had increased since the presidential election. That's particularly the case in Bay County, where local gun dealers report that they can't keep several kinds of firearms and ammunition in stock. Nationwide, FBI instant background checks for gun purchases in December increased 24 percent over the previous December, and there was a 49 percent spike the week of Obama's election. Holder didn't exactly reassure a bunch of Americans who already distrusted the president on gun rights…
http://www.newsherald.com/articles/aim_72489___article.html/bad_editorial.html
---
Remington Denies Ammo Production Cutback: …Columnist Charelston Voice gives no indication that he attempted to get Remington's side of the story, so I felt obligated to do so before passing his link along. Regular readers of my WarOnGuns blog know I've credited CEO Tommy Millner before for being accessible and responsive, both in the Jim Zumbo flap and the H.S. Precision catalog fiasco. I just got off the phone with him and I'll share with you the Cliffs Notes version of our conversation: Remington is flat-out working to maximum capacity. Demand outstrips ability to produce and deliver. If they could produce more to sell, they would. He believes his competitors would, too. And there is no hoarding…
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d11-What-exactly-is-contrived-about-ammunition-shortage
---
New York County Could Restrict Ammunition Sales: Gun control at a highly restrictive level New York has never seen before is imbedded in a local law under consideration at the moment by the Albany County Legislature. Local Law "A" for 2009 would tightly regulate "in the interests of public safety" all ammunition sold in Albany County. Not just ammo for handguns, which already is closely monitored by state law, but all rifle and shotgun ammunition as well. Hunting and target shooting ammo, basically. Anyone buying rounds or shells, even .22s, would have to show identification, declare the gun and have its serial number registered with the ammo seller. The buyer would have to state his intent of use, and could be refused the purchase. The ammo seller, at the same time, would be required to keep records for 10 years. Anyway you look at it, this amounts to yet another unreasonable assault on lawful gun owners and hunters without any logic behind it except to harass. It's ludicrous…
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=778528
---
Texas Homeowner Faces Charges for Shooting Burglar: A 64-year-old Kingsland man, already charged with a state jail felony in connection with the July shooting of a man he said was burglarizing his neighbor's home, was indicted Tuesday on an additional count of felony deadly conduct, officials said. Tommy Oakes is accused of firing at a vehicle July 30 after confronting several men he said were burglarizing his neighbor's house. Casey Rowe, who was in the vehicle, was later found at an emergency medical services station in Kingsland with a gunshot wound to the back of his neck, officials said. He died in September at a Lubbock rehabilitation facility. The latest indictment, which is a third-degree felony, relates to whether Oakes was reckless when he fired at least four shots that day, District Attorney Sam Oatman said. The original indictment focused specifically on Rowe's death, Oatman said…
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/05/0305oakes.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=52
---
Illinois Senate Committee Rejects CCW: A committee of the Illinois Senate has rejected a proposal to give Illinoisans the right to carry concealed weapons. Senate Bill 1976 would allow county sheriff's to issue concealed carry permits to qualified gun owners. The idea was voted down by members of the Senate Public Health Committee, which is dominated by Chicago-area lawmakers. State Sen. John Jones, a Mount Vernon Republican who sponsored the proposal, said he wasn't surprised by the rejection, given the makeup of the panel. Concealed carry efforts have long been supported by downstate lawmakers, but opposed by Chicago-area lawmakers. The Senate's action makes passage of 3 similar bills making their way through the Illinois House doubtful. Jones said even if those proposals win House approval, they'd likely go nowhere in the Senate.
http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9984490
Thousands of gun owners clad in yellow T-shirts and chanting "concealed carry now" have converged on the state Capitol to rally for a law letting them carry weapons. But their leaders said today that it will take time to build the support necessary to pass such divisive legislation. Downstate lawmakers of both parties tend to oppose gun control, while their colleagues from the Chicago area tend to support it. While they gather strength, gun advocates hope to fend off new gun control measures, including attempts to limit who can sell a gun and how many people can buy. The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, meanwhile, is pushing a ban on private gun sales to ensure that everyone who buys a gun submits to a background check.
http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=9987370
---
Bills Would Expand Utah RKBA: Gun owners in Utah likely would have the ability to carry weapons in more places than ever before. Two gun bills to grant people the ability to keep guns in their cars and homes await a final, mostly technical vote before going to the governor for his signature. SB78 would require business owners to allow guns in vehicles in private parking lots, although the property owner could require the gun be secured. The guns could be loaded or unloaded, though business owners could mandate only unloaded weapons on their property. "A person has the right to control what's in his car," said Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield. HB357 would allow adults to keep a loaded, concealed weapon at home, on private property or in a vehicle. The bill was amended to prevent minors from carrying a gun and also would ban carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun in a moving vehicle as they can discharge if jostled. Both bills need a final vote approving amendments.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11882946
---
Shooting Revives Arkansas Church-Carry Bill: An Arkansas lawmaker says she will reintroduce a bill to allow concealed weapons in churches after a deadly Illinois church shooting March 8. State Rep. Beverly Pyle (R-Cedarville) originally introduced a measure Jan. 29 to remove "any church or other house of worship" from a list of places where people licensed to carry concealed weapons are prohibited from bringing their guns. The bill passed the Arkansas House of Representatives on a 57-42 vote Feb. 11 but then died on a voice vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee Feb. 25. After a gunman entered First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., and killed Pastor Fred Winters with a gunshot to the heart, Pyle told Little Rock CBS affiliate KTHV Channel 11 she was making changes to the bill and planned to take it back to the committee hoping for more votes…
http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3924&Itemid=53
---
Campus-Carry Bill Still Pending in Louisiana: College students, faculty and employees who are licensed to carry concealed handguns should be able to tote them on their campuses, where they are now banned, according to a bill filed Monday by Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse. The measure is identical to one Wooton abandoned on the House floor last year after getting the House committee he chairs to approve it 11-3. Wooton said last year he counted 46 votes of support, seven shy of what was needed, and withdrew the bill in the last stages of the session. Wooton served notice at that time he would bring the bill back at every session as long as he is in the Legislature. And as last year, college and university officials are lining up against House Bill 27…
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1236061211202990.xml&coll=1
---
Alabama Shooting Triggers Call for "AWB": Following yesterday's assault weapon rampage shooting in Alabama leaving 11 dead including the shooter, America's leading national gun violence prevention organizations - Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Freedom States Alliance, Legal Community Against Violence, and Violence Policy Center - issued the following joint statement: "Our sympathies go to all those affected by this terrible tragedy. The guns used in yesterday's rampage shooting across Alabama - a Bushmaster AR-15-style assault rifle and an SKS assault rifle - are military-bred firearms developed for the specific purpose of killing human beings quickly and efficiently. Yesterday's shooting is only the latest addition to a string of preventable tragedies committed with these military-style weapons. America needs an effective federal assault weapons ban to stop the mass production and marketing by the gun industry of these anti-personnel weapons. Today we call on the U.S. Congress to pass a federal assault weapons ban modeled on California's effective law that would ban these weapons once and for all…" (The deaths obviously would have been less tragic if the shooter had used a lever-action .30-30.)
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-11-2009/0004987025&EDATE=
Related Commentary:
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d11-Will-Alabama-shooter-bring-assault-weapon-ban-to-front-burner
---
German School Shooting Likely to Provoke More Restrictions: Several European countries have restricted gun laws in the wake of school massacres, gang violence and other gun-related crimes: Finland announced plans Wednesday to impose stricter restrictions on firearms, including raising the minimum age for handgun ownership from 15 to 20. The proposal was prompted by two school massacres within a year in which lone gunmen opened fire on classmates and teachers. Germany, where a gunman killed at least 11 people Wednesday, raised the legal age for owning recreational firearms from 18 to 21 following a 2002 shooting in Erfurt that killed 16 people, including 12 teachers…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_re_eu/eu_europe_gun_laws_1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123680024809099043.html
---
Tangentially Related: …Boston.com reported Monday that an 82-year-old woman was strangled to death when her scarf and hair became caught in an escalator. According to staff of the Boston Globe, many people simply walked past the ghastly tableau, refusing to get involved. Among the few good Samaritans who desperately tried and failed to free the woman from the escalator was Larry Fitzpatrick. He was quoted as saying, "All we needed was a box cutter, knife, even a nail clipper, but we had nothing available." One of the reasons none of these passers-by had a knife is because Massachusetts, and presumably the city of Boston, have strict laws governing the carry and possession of knives, or certain types of them. They are not alone. Many if not all municipalities have such laws. In some cases, these laws are carryovers from the age of the duel, but in most cases, they are simply the work of invasive governments telling you what you can have in your pocket on a day-to-day basis…
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91393
In this case, the pro-gun position prevailed by a mere two votes - meaning S. 22 is far from being non-controversial… Although we won today, unfortunately the battle is not over…
http://gunowners.org/a031109htm.htm
---
DHS Boasts of Weapon Interdictions: A trio of weapons seizures in Arizona and Texas this week highlight the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) heightened emphasis on tracking and intercepting illegal guns and ammunition near the U.S.-Mexico border under Secretary Janet Napolitano… Agents in Arizona found five SKS rifles, two AK-47 rifles, two semi-automatic .9 mm pistols and one CVA .50 rifle, along with several thousands of ammunition rounds hidden in an ice chest. The two men in the truck, a U.S. citizen and a legal permanent resident from Mexico, were arrested… (A CVA .50-caliber rifle is actually a replica, single-shot muzzleloader.)
http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1236785322768.shtm
---
The Beat Goes On: After November's election, gun shops across the country saw a spike in sales, presumably because customers worried a new administration would make it tougher and more expensive to get a gun. Since then people are also buying ammo and now there's a shortage of it… We contacted the White House about the issue. In a statement to News 4 a White House spokeswoman says, "Millions of hunters and shooters own and use guns each year. The President of the United States believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. His administration is committed to protecting the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport and use guns." In the meantime it could take months for ammo makers to catch up to the shortage…
http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=9984474&nav=HMO6
If you're a hunter or gun owner, you already know how hard it's become to find guns or even basic accessories like ammunition or parts. Todd Borders is the Vice President of Borders Sporting Goods in Summit, Kentucky. He says finding guns these days isn't easy, even for shops like his. "Most all the other dealers I know are having a difficult time," Borders said. "The distributors even the manufactures are running full staff and they just can't keep up with the demand right now." Borders says sales have been strong for quite a while now. Since a certain day last November, to be exact. "It started the day after the election," Borders said. "I think people are concerned what they might take away." Sportsmen like David Stalvey are struggling to find the parts and ammunition they need. Their fear is that lawmakers in Washington might try to change guns laws…
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/41112102.html
Does U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder own stock in firearms manufacturers? His recent comment that the Obama administration might seek to reinstitute a federal ban on "assault weapons" only boosted gun sales that already had increased since the presidential election. That's particularly the case in Bay County, where local gun dealers report that they can't keep several kinds of firearms and ammunition in stock. Nationwide, FBI instant background checks for gun purchases in December increased 24 percent over the previous December, and there was a 49 percent spike the week of Obama's election. Holder didn't exactly reassure a bunch of Americans who already distrusted the president on gun rights…
http://www.newsherald.com/articles/aim_72489___article.html/bad_editorial.html
---
Remington Denies Ammo Production Cutback: …Columnist Charelston Voice gives no indication that he attempted to get Remington's side of the story, so I felt obligated to do so before passing his link along. Regular readers of my WarOnGuns blog know I've credited CEO Tommy Millner before for being accessible and responsive, both in the Jim Zumbo flap and the H.S. Precision catalog fiasco. I just got off the phone with him and I'll share with you the Cliffs Notes version of our conversation: Remington is flat-out working to maximum capacity. Demand outstrips ability to produce and deliver. If they could produce more to sell, they would. He believes his competitors would, too. And there is no hoarding…
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d11-What-exactly-is-contrived-about-ammunition-shortage
---
New York County Could Restrict Ammunition Sales: Gun control at a highly restrictive level New York has never seen before is imbedded in a local law under consideration at the moment by the Albany County Legislature. Local Law "A" for 2009 would tightly regulate "in the interests of public safety" all ammunition sold in Albany County. Not just ammo for handguns, which already is closely monitored by state law, but all rifle and shotgun ammunition as well. Hunting and target shooting ammo, basically. Anyone buying rounds or shells, even .22s, would have to show identification, declare the gun and have its serial number registered with the ammo seller. The buyer would have to state his intent of use, and could be refused the purchase. The ammo seller, at the same time, would be required to keep records for 10 years. Anyway you look at it, this amounts to yet another unreasonable assault on lawful gun owners and hunters without any logic behind it except to harass. It's ludicrous…
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=778528
---
Texas Homeowner Faces Charges for Shooting Burglar: A 64-year-old Kingsland man, already charged with a state jail felony in connection with the July shooting of a man he said was burglarizing his neighbor's home, was indicted Tuesday on an additional count of felony deadly conduct, officials said. Tommy Oakes is accused of firing at a vehicle July 30 after confronting several men he said were burglarizing his neighbor's house. Casey Rowe, who was in the vehicle, was later found at an emergency medical services station in Kingsland with a gunshot wound to the back of his neck, officials said. He died in September at a Lubbock rehabilitation facility. The latest indictment, which is a third-degree felony, relates to whether Oakes was reckless when he fired at least four shots that day, District Attorney Sam Oatman said. The original indictment focused specifically on Rowe's death, Oatman said…
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/05/0305oakes.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=52
---
Illinois Senate Committee Rejects CCW: A committee of the Illinois Senate has rejected a proposal to give Illinoisans the right to carry concealed weapons. Senate Bill 1976 would allow county sheriff's to issue concealed carry permits to qualified gun owners. The idea was voted down by members of the Senate Public Health Committee, which is dominated by Chicago-area lawmakers. State Sen. John Jones, a Mount Vernon Republican who sponsored the proposal, said he wasn't surprised by the rejection, given the makeup of the panel. Concealed carry efforts have long been supported by downstate lawmakers, but opposed by Chicago-area lawmakers. The Senate's action makes passage of 3 similar bills making their way through the Illinois House doubtful. Jones said even if those proposals win House approval, they'd likely go nowhere in the Senate.
http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9984490
Thousands of gun owners clad in yellow T-shirts and chanting "concealed carry now" have converged on the state Capitol to rally for a law letting them carry weapons. But their leaders said today that it will take time to build the support necessary to pass such divisive legislation. Downstate lawmakers of both parties tend to oppose gun control, while their colleagues from the Chicago area tend to support it. While they gather strength, gun advocates hope to fend off new gun control measures, including attempts to limit who can sell a gun and how many people can buy. The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, meanwhile, is pushing a ban on private gun sales to ensure that everyone who buys a gun submits to a background check.
http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=9987370
---
Bills Would Expand Utah RKBA: Gun owners in Utah likely would have the ability to carry weapons in more places than ever before. Two gun bills to grant people the ability to keep guns in their cars and homes await a final, mostly technical vote before going to the governor for his signature. SB78 would require business owners to allow guns in vehicles in private parking lots, although the property owner could require the gun be secured. The guns could be loaded or unloaded, though business owners could mandate only unloaded weapons on their property. "A person has the right to control what's in his car," said Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield. HB357 would allow adults to keep a loaded, concealed weapon at home, on private property or in a vehicle. The bill was amended to prevent minors from carrying a gun and also would ban carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun in a moving vehicle as they can discharge if jostled. Both bills need a final vote approving amendments.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11882946
---
Shooting Revives Arkansas Church-Carry Bill: An Arkansas lawmaker says she will reintroduce a bill to allow concealed weapons in churches after a deadly Illinois church shooting March 8. State Rep. Beverly Pyle (R-Cedarville) originally introduced a measure Jan. 29 to remove "any church or other house of worship" from a list of places where people licensed to carry concealed weapons are prohibited from bringing their guns. The bill passed the Arkansas House of Representatives on a 57-42 vote Feb. 11 but then died on a voice vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee Feb. 25. After a gunman entered First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., and killed Pastor Fred Winters with a gunshot to the heart, Pyle told Little Rock CBS affiliate KTHV Channel 11 she was making changes to the bill and planned to take it back to the committee hoping for more votes…
http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3924&Itemid=53
---
Campus-Carry Bill Still Pending in Louisiana: College students, faculty and employees who are licensed to carry concealed handguns should be able to tote them on their campuses, where they are now banned, according to a bill filed Monday by Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse. The measure is identical to one Wooton abandoned on the House floor last year after getting the House committee he chairs to approve it 11-3. Wooton said last year he counted 46 votes of support, seven shy of what was needed, and withdrew the bill in the last stages of the session. Wooton served notice at that time he would bring the bill back at every session as long as he is in the Legislature. And as last year, college and university officials are lining up against House Bill 27…
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1236061211202990.xml&coll=1
---
Alabama Shooting Triggers Call for "AWB": Following yesterday's assault weapon rampage shooting in Alabama leaving 11 dead including the shooter, America's leading national gun violence prevention organizations - Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Freedom States Alliance, Legal Community Against Violence, and Violence Policy Center - issued the following joint statement: "Our sympathies go to all those affected by this terrible tragedy. The guns used in yesterday's rampage shooting across Alabama - a Bushmaster AR-15-style assault rifle and an SKS assault rifle - are military-bred firearms developed for the specific purpose of killing human beings quickly and efficiently. Yesterday's shooting is only the latest addition to a string of preventable tragedies committed with these military-style weapons. America needs an effective federal assault weapons ban to stop the mass production and marketing by the gun industry of these anti-personnel weapons. Today we call on the U.S. Congress to pass a federal assault weapons ban modeled on California's effective law that would ban these weapons once and for all…" (The deaths obviously would have been less tragic if the shooter had used a lever-action .30-30.)
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-11-2009/0004987025&EDATE=
Related Commentary:
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d11-Will-Alabama-shooter-bring-assault-weapon-ban-to-front-burner
---
German School Shooting Likely to Provoke More Restrictions: Several European countries have restricted gun laws in the wake of school massacres, gang violence and other gun-related crimes: Finland announced plans Wednesday to impose stricter restrictions on firearms, including raising the minimum age for handgun ownership from 15 to 20. The proposal was prompted by two school massacres within a year in which lone gunmen opened fire on classmates and teachers. Germany, where a gunman killed at least 11 people Wednesday, raised the legal age for owning recreational firearms from 18 to 21 following a 2002 shooting in Erfurt that killed 16 people, including 12 teachers…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_re_eu/eu_europe_gun_laws_1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123680024809099043.html
---
Tangentially Related: …Boston.com reported Monday that an 82-year-old woman was strangled to death when her scarf and hair became caught in an escalator. According to staff of the Boston Globe, many people simply walked past the ghastly tableau, refusing to get involved. Among the few good Samaritans who desperately tried and failed to free the woman from the escalator was Larry Fitzpatrick. He was quoted as saying, "All we needed was a box cutter, knife, even a nail clipper, but we had nothing available." One of the reasons none of these passers-by had a knife is because Massachusetts, and presumably the city of Boston, have strict laws governing the carry and possession of knives, or certain types of them. They are not alone. Many if not all municipalities have such laws. In some cases, these laws are carryovers from the age of the duel, but in most cases, they are simply the work of invasive governments telling you what you can have in your pocket on a day-to-day basis…
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91393
-- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info
--
Jason Baird
http://www.Weboutsourcing.com
214-495-9858
