AZ: Legislative update from AZCDL

AZ Legislative update from AZCDL:

It all started when a handful of Republican Representatives were absent during the House Third Read votes on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. Just enough were absent to erase the slim Republican majority in the House. Democrats flexed their muscles, and bills started going down in flames. Caught in this power struggle were two AzCDL supported, pro-rights bills – SB 1070 and SB 1106.

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, and SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit, both failed to pass during Third Read. Support vanished from virtually all the Democrats who had previously indicated they would vote for them. To avoid an irreparable loss, some quick thinking Republicans switched their votes to set up a motion for a reconsideration vote. Both bills are now on the House Third Read calendar for Wednesday, May 21, 2008. This is their last chance for passage in the House. Hopefully tomorrow clearer heads will prevail, absent members will show up, and SB 1070 and SB 1106 will pass with the bipartisan majorities we had expected.

Please take the time to send a polite note to your Representative urging them to vote for the passage of SB 1070 and SB 1106. You can find your Representative here: http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp
Please be sure to include your name, address, and phone number in all correspondence.

HB 2629, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display of a firearm is justified, was also scheduled for the House Final Read on Tuesday, May 20, 2008, but, fortunately, was pulled from the calendar. It will be rescheduled. HB 2629 passed the House Third Read by a 33-26 vote (1 Representative not voting) on March 19, 2008, and the Senate Third Read by a 19-7 vote (4 Senators not voting) on May 12, 2008. If HB 2629 passes the House Final Read, it will be sent to the Governor.

Beware! The slim pro-rights majority in the House may disappear this Fall unless YOU vote in local elections. The scenario that happened today on the House floor will be the rule, not the exception. Pro-rights bills will be killed in committees and rights crushing bills like HB 2833, a stealth ammo ban which was dead on arrival this year, would be zipping through the Legislature and heading to the Governor for her signature. You can read more about HB 2833 at AzCDL's "News" page. Scroll down to the article dated February 12, 2008: http://www.azcdl.org/html/news.html .

House Caucus committees have passed HB 2389, 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, with a recommendation that it be sent to a Conference committee, where differences between the original House version and the amended Senate version can be worked out.

Meanwhile HB 2634, the 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, passed out of the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 and is now on the Senate Third Read calendar for Wednesday, May 21, 2008.

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!

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