Gun Law News
April 29, 2008
13:10
Senator Frank Lautenberg is at it again, this time wanting to retain NICS records for extended time periods. Thomas has not found it yet, but you can read the press release here. Update: It is up and S.2935 is the name.
April 22, 2008
18:20
A float in a German parade:{mosimage}Obama has a firm grasp, but does not seem to be able to finish the job.Clinton won by a big enough margin to convince herself to keep going.
09:40
This week Kansas governor signs machine gun bill. This is obviously good news. It is also an opportunity.I don't normally follow Kansas politics, but my understanding is that Governor Kathleen Sebelius is not someone we can normally rely on to support our rights. But this week, she came through. We in the gun rights movement are fast to jump on those that would infringe our rights. We should be just as quick to say thank you to those that move in the right direction. For all you Kansas residents, link to the governor's email form and let her know you appreciate that she is recognizing lawful gun owners are not a crime problem. Update: Read the comment below. The question becomes, do you thank someone for doing the right thing even if it is for the wrong reason? That would be an individual decision.
April 18, 2008
13:15
Discussion boards are like your first job out of college. Everybody wants somebody who has experience and nobody wants to hire the new guy so he can get experience. The same way, without content, nobody visits new discussion boards to add their two cents. GunVoter is an offshoot of the Firearms Coalition. It is new discussion board, but is getting the attention of an increasing number of people.If you are not familiar with the Firearms Coalition, you should be. Their history goes back to Neal Knox testifying in Congress against what became the Gun Control Act of 1968. Neal went on to become perhaps the player in the formation of NRA-ILA.So, Gun Law News has joined forces with GunVoter to play on the strength of both sites. I encourage you to go over there and make your ideas known.
April 15, 2008
07:27
On occasion I have noticed a hit from the Senate googling Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2007. So, today I decided it was time to go and take a look at it. H.R.2666 is currently sitting in the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the House Judiciary Committee. It has been there for almost a year.Be thankful it hasn't budged.This bill would fully implement nationwide registration of all hand guns and semiautomatic long guns. Think of it as "NFA for everything but pump and bolt action long guns".For the children, there is also a safe storage provision. Failure to comply with provisions can result in up to 10 years in prison.Police, of course, are excepted from the requirements of this bill. Blair Holt was a high school student killed in a shooting on a public bus while shielding a girl. It is unfortunate that his name and story are used to perpetuate society's attachment to victimhood which is what prevented anyone else on the bus from actively defending Blair and the others.If anyone ever suggests that the gun control lobby only wants reasonable restrictions and no one is talking about nationwide registration, just point them to this bill.
April 10, 2008
April 9, 2008
16:59
We have a reader looking for a gun law attorney in Texas. Here is the situation:I am supervisor at a juvenile probation department in North Texas. Over the last several years, we have noticed an increase in gang and gun related offenses concerning juvenile offenders. Ironically, the government charges us with the task of supervising dangerous offenders; however, prohibit us from carrying a concealed firearm for protection. I am wanting to do something to change the laws regarding concealed carry for juvenile officers. I am wondering if I pursue this from a legal standpoint or if this has to be addressed through legislation. Any advice would be appreciated. So, what are your recommendations? You can comment here or go over to Gun Voter and comment there.
04:59
The Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee will be discussing BATFE's budget at 2:00 PM ET in H-309 of The Capitol building today, just in case you happen to have some free time.We need to recognize that BATFE does a lot more than harass FFLs, but it would be interesting to map BATFE's budget against the number of FFLs over the years.
April 7, 2008
17:39
We all know that Obama is trying to soft peddle his long history of supporting all sorts of gun control. We are supposed to remember his time as a constitutional lecturer. And we are to forget his opposition to firearms freedom going so far in the Chicago Tribune on November 20, 2007 to say that the D.C. gun ban was constitutional. It seems that Paul Hemke is feeling a bit left out. His Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is all but in a coma after having awoken briefly to submit an amicus brief in Heller v. D.C. So here comes Paul with Obama and America: "Doing The Gun Dance". Quoting a Washington Post poll that is about as believable as Marion Barry, Hemke attempts to show that Barack Obama is in step with the American public who just happen to be in step with the Brady Campaign.Finishing up with "Support for common sense gun control should be a vote-winning issue for most candidates.", Paul proves that his assessment of support for gun control in America is diametrically opposed to what every candidate has come to realize.Getting a hug from Paul should be like getting a kiss from Judas.
April 4, 2008
13:06
On November 20, 2007, the day that the Supreme Court granted Heller v. D.C., the Chicago Tribune ran an article titled "Court To Hear Gun Case". It was written by James Oliphant and Michael J. Higgins. That article said, But the campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said that he "...believes that we can recognize and respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and the right of local communities to enact common sense laws to combat violence and save lives. Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is constitutional." Don't try to find that article today. The Chicago Tribune link that used to work no longer does. This is not surprising as they are a business. They want you to pay for archive copies. So, what happens when you search the archives for the article? You draw a blank. As a matter of fact, the archive has no articles on Heller for the entire month of November 2007.Don't ever try to tell me there is no media bias.
April 3, 2008
10:55
Read this:Dr. Murray Sabrin stated, "Senator Frank Lautenberg and Congressman Rob Andrews are so extreme in their politics, they want to ignore the Constitution of the United States. Senator Lautenberg should be ashamed of himself comparing the 4 million law-abiding members of the National Rifle Association to the mafia. Congressman Andrews must have been sleeping through Constitutional Law class at Cornell Law School - if he makes it through the Primary with Senator Lautenberg, I will be sure to give him a refresher course on the Constitution." Would you believe this is coming from a guy running for the Senate from New Jersey?Check out Dr. Murray Sabrin.
06:17
In one fell swoop, Hillary and Barack show their antigun stripes to the Pittsburg Tribune-Review in Candidates' gun control positions may figure in Pa. vote. The PT-R goes on: All three candidates oppose creating a national handgun registry.In actuality, Obama said :"35. Do you support legislation to ban the manufacture, sale and possession of a. handguns? While a complete ban on handguns is not politically practicable, I believe reasonable restrictions on the sale and possession of handguns are necessary to protect the public safety. In the Illinois Senate last year, I supported a package of bills to limit individual Illinoisans to purchasing one handgun a month; require all promoters and sellers at firearms shows to carry a state license; allow civil liability for death or injuries caused by handguns; and require FOID applicants to apply in person. I would support similar efforts at the federal level, including retaining the Brady Law.Notice that Obama did not come out against a complete ban on handguns. He only said it was "not politically practical". We can only conclude that he would push for a complete handgun ban if it was doable. So, while attempting to sound moderate by opposing registration, he actually just wants you to just turn them all in. That would make the registry unnecessary.
March 27, 2008
17:28
I am in Moab until the middle of next week relaxing far from everything except a daily trip to a gas station.Expect quiet.
March 25, 2008
08:25
{mosimage} RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGETFinger: Bad. Curving metal bar: Good? Are you crazy? It looks like the lock is supposed to go behind the trigger. So, in the imperfect world of humans, you can pretty much guarantee it will be in front some percentage of the time.Absolute lunacy. Update: And if you want to maximize the opportunity for things to go FUBAR, then maximize how often you have to mess with this arrangement, just like the TSA does.
07:08
A new case, U.S. v. Hayes ( 07-608), has been granted cert. Randy Edward Hayes was charged in 1995 under a violation of the Lautenberg Amendment. The question presented is not within the bounds of the Second Amendment. But, Sentencing Law and Policy believes an individual rights decision in Heller could expand this case. Check out SCOTUS takes new gun case ... is this a Heller tea leaf?.I have a question for those more knowledgeable than I. Firearms prohibition comes in where you are convicted of a crime and could be sentenced to more than one year. Is Lautenberg the only disabling factor where a lessor possible sentence gets you to prohibited status? Update: Detail from Court Takes Firearms Possession Case Last year, Hayes convinced the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., to dismiss the indictment against him. The appeals court ruled in Hayes' favor because the language of the state law on battery in the 1994 case did not contain specific wording about a domestic relationship between the offender and the victim.
March 24, 2008
08:56
It is a common frustration in the gun rights crowd that the gun banners will post to their heart's content but be unwilling to accept any criticism in the form of blog comments. For the moment, there is an opening. I point you to two new blogs: http://csgv.blogspot.com/ and http://csgv2.blogspot.com/ that, for the moment, have comment capabilities open. Comments are moderated; let's see what they will accept.Be polite, but be clear.Let's see how long comments are allowed and if they stop accepting them.
March 19, 2008
04:53
Confirmation that "We win even if we loose". Remember that this case had nothing to do with machine guns, armor piercing ammo, registration or background checks. Arguments on those subjects here do not impact later cases and they may not be mentioned in the final decision.Also find the first salvo in upcoming lawsuits. The Brady Campaign will be there and they will be paying for it with their "Heller fund raisers". It looks like they won't have to go far. It looks like New York is Next up, the Sullivan Act. There should be a bumper crop of plaintiffs there.h/t to Gun Legislation & Politics in New York.
March 18, 2008
19:38
Here is my one and only prediction: No matter what the outcome from the Supreme Court, the Brady Campaign and the Violence Policy Center will declare victory. Then they will initiate fund raising based upon their "victory".There you have it. I'll just call that a slam dunk.
04:42
Today is a banner day, Heller v. D.C. and all. But I am running silent. Why? Because half the known world is blogging it. If I don't have anything to add, I don't blog.Everyone that reads, reads alot. If SayUncle covers it, there is no reason for me too. The same goes for a number of other blogs. I just don't feel like reinventing the wheel.And that is why it may see the biggest subjects get the least coverage from me. Just in case you were wondering. Now, head over to ScotusBlog or CSPAN. CSPAN is also on XM 132.
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