AZ: AZCDL Legislative Update

Hot off the press from AZCDL:

The legislative session is in overtime, and many of the remaining AzCDL requested and supported pro-rights bills are in a holding pattern in the Rules Committees in both the House and Senate. All bills must pass through the Rules Committee in each chamber, which determines if proposed legislation is constitutional and in proper form.

The House Rules Committee, which has not held a meeting since April 22nd, has yet to hear the following Senate bills:

SB 1070, an AzCDL requested bill that makes it easier for lawful gun owners who have satisfactorily completed training to obtain a permit, or renew an expired one.

SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit.

Over in the Senate, HB 2389 finally moved out of the Senate Rules Committee on May 5th. Its next stop is the Senate Committee of the Whole, probably next week. HB 2389 is an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that it is permissible to carry a weapon, without a CCW permit, visibly or concealed, anywhere within a means of transportation, excluding public transit.

The Senate Rules Committee has still not heard HB 2634, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit. Sen. Tibshraeny, the Rules committee Chairman, has told our lobbyists that he will hear the bill on the next agenda.

On a more positive note, HB 2629 was heard in the Senate Committee of the Whole on April 30, 2008 and is waiting to be scheduled for a formal vote by the full Senate. HB 2629 is an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display of a firearm is justified.

The pressure you put on the Rules committees last week had an impact! AzCDL's full-time volunteer lobbyists are at the Capitol, tirelessly working to get these important bills through the legislature and to the Governor. Stay tuned!

Information on these and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html

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.

Update: The Senate Rules committee has scheduled HB 2634 for a Senate Rules Committee Hearing on Monday May 12th. If you have gone to the AZ Senate or House to use a kiosk to set up your username/password you can use the AZ Request to Speak system to enter some comments & register your support of the bill, which will be read by the Senate Rules Committee during the hearing. If you don't have a username yet you can also register your support and comments at any of the available kiosks there.