AZ: Constitutional Carry Passed in Senate - Next Stop: House

Watch the video archive. Check out the related NRA-ILA alert. Below details are from AZCDL:

First, the good news! SB 1108, the Senate version of the AzCDL-requested Constitutional Carry bill, passed in the Senate Third Read, by a 20-10 vote, on Monday, March 29, 2010. Your emails work!

From here, SB 1108 will be sent over to the House. Since the House has already voted for an identical bill, HB 2347, during their Committee of the Whole (COW) debate, we are expecting SB 1108 to be substituted for HB 2347 during the House Third Read. We are also expecting the House Third Read vote to be as early as [Wednesday, March 31, 2010]. This will be “the” final vote on Constitutional Carry to determine if it will be sent to the Governor!

AzCDL’s representatives are at the Capitol daily counting potential votes and talking to the undecided. However, what will determine the successful passage of SB 1108 are YOUR emails. Your letter, to send to your Representatives, has been prepared and is waiting for you at AzCDL’s Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14824091 .

We would also appreciate it if you took the time to contact Senators Carolyn Allen, Steve Pierce, Rebecca Rios and Jay Tibshraeny and thank them for supporting SB 1108 during the Senate Third Read. They were 4 of the 5 Senators who supported the Cheuvront amendment that ended the progress of SB 1102, the original Senate Constitutional Carry bill. After receiving hundreds of your emails they voted for SB 1108. Please go to AzCDL Action Center and send these Senators a note of thanks:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14879796 .

SB 1168, the Firearms Preemption bill, was also scheduled for a Senate Third Read vote on March 29th. However it was held pending a House vote on HB 2543, the House version of Firearms Preemption. During the House Third Read, also on March 29th, HB 2543 passed by a 36-21 vote with 3 Representatives not voting. It will soon be sent to the Senate and substituted for SB 1168 in an upcoming Senate Third Read. Like the situation with Constitutional Carry, this should be the final vote before sending the bill to the Governor.

Finally, HB 2307, the Firearms Freedom Act, also passed out of the Senate Third Read on March 29th by a 22-8 vote. From here it will go back to the House (a formality) before being sent to the Governor.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Nugent: 'New Independence Day' in November

Ted Nugent on the upcoming 2010 elections:

NRA-ILA: Brady Campaign Continues Slide Into Irrelevancy

I could not agree more!

From the NRA-ILA:

The notion that lemmings deliberately hasten their demise by rushing into the sea may be a myth, but the anti-Second Amendment group and its spokesmen really are scurrying through a series of blunders that may hasten their steady march to irrelevancy.

In 2008, in District of Columbia v. Heller, the group's two theories about the Second Amendment were rejected by the Supreme Court, one of them by five justices and the other by all nine. In 2009, they tried, with no success, to frighten America about tourists carrying guns for protection in national parks.

This year, they've insulted their most powerful ally, President Obama, for not setting aside the economy, the war, and his social agenda to push for gun control legislation Congress does not support. They've given the states their worst "Brady grades" ever, even though violent crime continues to decrease. And, they've badgered the Starbucks coffee company for allowing customers to legally carry firearms in its stores.

This week, though, Brady lawyer Dennis Henigan—the world's most prolific advocate of the legal theories the Supreme Court sent to the shredder two years ago—further diminished the group's credibility by claiming "The evidence is overwhelming that the 'shall-issue' concealed carry laws have been a disaster for public safety. . . . [T]he scholarly research shows that the laws generally have been 'associated with uniform increases in crime.'"

If he had just pushed himself away from the computer after his first four words, he would have been much better off. There's "evidence," all right, and it's certainly "overwhelming." Today, there are 36 states with "shall issue" laws—an all-time high. Sixty-three percent of Americans live in "shall issue" states, five million Americans have carry permits, and two states don't even require a permit to carry concealed.

"Uniform increases in crime"? The nation's violent crime rate is at a 35-year low.

Since adopting "shall issue" laws, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia have had decreases in violent crime ranging from 26 to 53 percent.

Henigan also claimed to have 33,000 signatures on his anti-Starbucks online petition, which can be signed by anyone with a computer anywhere in the world. But in a country of five million carry permit holders, up to 80 million gun owners, and 300 million people, Brady's petition and $1.70 will get you …

Copyright 2010, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action. This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes. 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 800-392-8683

Constitutional Carry Scheduled for Senate COW Debate

From AZCDL:

Your immediate action is needed to support SB 1108, the AzCDL-requested Constitutional Carry bill, which eliminates the prohibition and penalties for law-abiding adults who carry a concealed weapon without a permit.

We are expecting SB 1108 to be placed on the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) agenda for March 23rd (tomorrow!). It is critical that you immediately contact your Senator and urge them to support SB 1108 during the COW debate. A letter is waiting to be sent by you at AzCDL’s Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14820506 .

On March 18th both Constitutional Carry bills (SB 1108 & HB 2347) were scheduled for debate in their respective chamber’s Committee of the Whole (COW). Both were pulled from the calendar to be rescheduled, for a very good reason. On March 17th the Governor’s staff requested some minor changes that they felt would improve the chance of Constitutional Carry becoming law. SB 1108 has now been rescheduled for COW debate tomorrow, March 23rd.

If you haven’t sent an email to your Senator on SB 1108 please don’t hesitate any longer. Your letter to send to your Senator is waiting for you at AzCDL’s Action Center.
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14820506 .

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

New Sponsor: LuckyGunner.com

I'd like to welcome our newest sponsor: LuckyGunner.com

You'll notice their banner on the right hand side of the page.

A few highlights:

• They don't do back-orders. They use a real time inventory system. As a result, what you see on their website is what they have in stock.
• If you place an order by 2 PM EST on a business day, orders are shipped the same day - otherwise they are shipped the next business day.
• They carry more than ammunition, such as survival gear, primers, and other reloading supplies.

Please thank them by visiting their site & placing an order. Once you receive your order, feel free to post comments on this post to share your customer experience with all of us. Thanks!

AZCDL Legislative Update

From AZCDL:

HB 2347, the House version of the AzCDL-requested Constitutional Carry bill, passed out of the House Rules committee on March 8th. Its next stop is the House Committee of the Whole (COW) for debate and voice vote. Unfortunately, bills are added to COW calendars with very little advanced warning, so keep your keyboards ready for an “11th hour” email offensive.

SB 1108, the Senate version of Constitutional Carry, is awaiting a review in the Senate Rules Committee before it progresses to the Senate COW.

We are picking up disinformation that is being spread about the Constitutional Carry bills, so let’s review their features. Article 2, Section 26 of the Arizona Constitution says that your pre-existing right to bear arms “shall not be impaired.” The Constitutional Carry bills restore that right by eliminating the prohibition and penalties currently in place for law-abiding adults who carry a concealed weapon without a CCW permit.

The Constitutional Carry bills also eliminate the confusion in interpreting the statutes regarding open carry and vehicle carry that have been clouded since 1994 by Appellate court decisions. For all practical purposes the only current way to be sure you are legally carrying openly, or in your vehicle, is to have a CCW permit.

The CCW permit becomes optional – it is not eliminated. Training requirements would be broadened to facilitate obtaining the optional permit. The expanded training opportunities include allowing the use of NRA training, proof of military service, college level courses and training from an approved firearms training school (e.g., Gunsite, Front Sight). Since these are similar to requirements in use by Florida and a number of other states, reciprocity should be unaffected.

A CCW permit will still be required to carry concealed into establishments that serve alcohol and to bypass the NICS check when purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer. Additionally, language has been added in HB 2347 & SB 1108 that exempts CCW permit holders from the requirement to be unarmed when entering a “non-secure” state and local government building. A non-secure building is one that doesn’t have the means to tightly control access by the general public.

The majority of rank and file law enforcement organizations are not opposing the Constitutional Carry bills. Opposition remains from organizations representing the chiefs of police and some county attorneys, primarily political positions.

There are many still working to defeat Constitutional Carry in the legislature. AzCDL is constantly working at the Capitol to count the supporters and influence the fence-sitters. Constitutional Carry has a good chance of becoming law this year, but our success will be totally dependent on YOUR involvement. When legislators hear from you, they get the message. Get ready!

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Open Carry Deters Crime

If you don't conceal your weapon, you give up the element of surprise in the event you are attacked and need to defend yourself. However, by carrying your firearm openly, you may deter a crime from happening in the first place, which would then lead to a better outcome. It is difficult to determine exactly how many crimes are deterred each year by those who carry openly due to the obvious fact that in such circumstances the crimes don't even take place.

We do however have at least one documented example in Kennesaw GA where a crew of armed thugs decided NOT to commit armed robbery in a waffle house because the thug who went in to scout the place before the crime saw Matt Brannan and J.P. Mitchell openly carrying their firearms. You can listen to Mark Walters of USCCA's Armed American Radio interview Matt Brannan and J.P. Mitchell for more details on the event. Over the years I have also heard multiple first hand accounts of possible criminals who seemed determined to commit a crime as they approached their potential victims, but suddenly turned away when they noticed a holstered firearm.

If you think about it from the point of view of the thugs it makes sense. Why would they want to attack a group of people where they know at least one person is armed for self defense when they can easily find another group of potential victims where all are likely unarmed? Why would they want to significantly increase the odds of being shot by one of their intended victims? Before you say it, yes, there are situations where a crazy person determined to attack a particular location would attack irregardless, shooting at the known armed people first, but that situation is rare relative to the typical crimes committed by criminals who are simply looking for an easy target.

If you do choose to Open Carry, I recommend that you utilize and train with a retention holster. I like the Blackhawk SERPA holsters as they hold your weapon securely, yet allow you to remove your weapon quickly & easily with a little practice. What is your favorite retention holster? Let me know in the comment section.

Learn more about Open Carry at OpenCarry.org.

McDonald vs Chicago

Yesterday was a big day for the Second Amendment at the Supreme Court, where justices heard arguments on both sides of the McDonald vs City of Chicago case on whether or not to incorporate the right to keep and bear arms to protect we the people against existing infringements by State and Local governments. A ruling on this Supreme Court case is expected by Late June or early July.

You can read the transcript and find additional information from Downrange.tv, Arms & the Law, John Lott, and the Volokh Conspiracy. I'll add additional links below as I find them.

Below is a great report from Judge Napalitano with guest John Lott

More links: Scotusblog, CNN Report, PBS Report, Fox Journal, Alex Jones 1/2, Alex Jones 2/2, Daily Caller, Reason TV.

Tea Party Responds to Keith Olbermann

I've been to multiple Tea Party events myself, and I can vouch for the fact that it is a diverse group of Americans from all backgrounds and ethnicities. Keith Olbermann obviously has never been to such an event himself.

AZCDL Legislative Update

From AZCDL:

SB 1102, the Senate version of Constitutional Carry may have been stalled by a few Senate Republicans “crossing the aisle” to vote with Democrats to add the Cheuvront amendment, but that doesn’t mean it’s “game over” for Constitutional Carry in Arizona. We are working with Senator Russell Pearce, the bill’s sponsor, to find a way to move the bill forward in its proper form. There is still hope for the Senate version of the bill.

Even though the situation in the Senate remains tenuous, all is still not lost. AzCDL plans ahead! At the beginning of this session, identical versions of Constitutional Carry were introduced in both the House and Senate. The House version, HB 2347, was assigned to both the Judiciary and Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS) committees. HB 2347 passed out of the MAPS Committee on February 3, 2010, by a 5-2 vote. Though it didn’t seem to be moving in the House Judiciary Committee, Chairman Adam Driggs assured us that he supported the bill, and was only waiting to see that the concerns of stakeholders had been addressed via negotiated amendments. On Tuesday, February 23rd, true to his word, Representative Driggs withdrew HB 2347 from the Judiciary Committee. It will now be scheduled for a review by the House Rules Committee before heading to a floor debate in the Committee of the Whole. Please take a minute to thank Chairman Driggs for his support: http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/158343 .

Amendments were made to the bills mainly to address law enforcement’s concerns, but the underlying restoration of the right to carry concealed without a permit remains unchanged. As a result, most rank and file law enforcement organizations have dropped their opposition to the Constitutional Carry bills. The highlights of the current version of these bills include:

- Eliminating the prohibition and penalties for law-abiding adults who carry a concealed weapon without a permit in Arizona except in places, like restaurants serving alcohol, where the law requires a CCW permit.

- Increasing the penalties for criminals who carry a concealed weapon in the commission or attempted commission of a serious, violent, or major felony crime.

- Requiring a person carrying a concealed weapon to notify a Law Enforcement Officer, upon their request, that the person possesses a concealed weapon.

- Adding more training options for obtaining a CCW permit.

- Eliminating the storage requirement for CCW permit holders who enter a “non-secure” public building.

- Allowing LEOSA certified retired Law Enforcement Officers to carry on school grounds.

- Requiring confiscated firearms to be sold to an appropriate retailer rather than destroyed.

In other news, also on February 23rd, Representative Driggs released HB 2543, the House version of the firearms preemption bill, from his committee. HB 2543 passed out of the House Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS) Committee on February 17th by a vote of 7-1 with a recommendation for passage by the full House.

SB 1168, the Senate version of the firearms preemption bill, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 22nd by a vote of 4-3 with a recommendation for passage by the full Senate.

Both firearms preemption bills will be reviewed in their respective Rules Committees before proceeding to Committee of the Whole (COW) debates.

SB 1153, the knife preemption bill, passed in the Senate Third Read on February 22, 2010 by a vote of 20-9 with one member not voting. It has been transmitted to the House.

On February 24, 2010, HCR 2008, which would, subject to voter approval, establish a Constitutional right to hunt and fish, passed out of the House MAPS Committee by a vote of 6-1 with one member voting present.

We received word that the Utah Firearms Freedom Act (SB 11) has passed their legislature, and is awaiting the Governor's signature. Sponsors of the Arizona Firearms Freedom Act (HB 2307 & SB 1098) have asked us to spread the word to encourage Utah Governor Gary Herbert to sign SB 11. His numbers are (toll free) 800-705-2464 and (local) 801-538-1000.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Cheuvront Sabotage in the Senate

Yesterday afternoon Sabotage of the Senate Version of Constitutional Carry was conducted by Senator Cheuvront and those who voted in support of his hostile amendment. You can witness the horror of their attack on our freedoms for yourself here (currently not available but it should show up within a few days) Details from AZCDL:

[On the afternoon of Thursday February 18, 2010], the Senate debated SB 1102 in the Committee of the Whole (COW). The COW debate is the last chance for a bill to get amended before a formal (Third Read) floor vote by the full Senate. During the COW debate, Democrat Senator Ken Cheuvront (http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/1881) submitted a hostile amendment, right out of the Brady Center playbook, which would make it a class 4 felony to not verify citizenship on any private sale conducted at a gun show. This is the same amendment that was defeated during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on SB 1102. The text of Senator Cheuvront's amendment is here: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/adopted/s.1102cheuvront1027.pdf .

Initially, Senator Cheuvront’s amendment was defeated by voice vote during the debate on SB 1102. However, parliamentary procedures allowed him to reintroduce his amendment during the process of “closing” the COW calendar containing SB 1102 and a number of other bills. At that point, Senator Cheuvront asked for a recorded vote. As expected, all 12 Democrats in the Senate voted for the Cheuvront amendment. Of the 18 Republicans, Senator Jonathan Paton was not present for the vote, and the following 3 Republicans “crossed the aisle” to limit your freedoms, voting to PASS the Cheuvront amendment by a 15-14 vote.

Senator Carolyn S. Allen: http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/1886 .
Senator Steve Pierce: http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/24366 .
Senator Jay Tibshraeny: http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/48998 .

If any one of this “turncoat trio” had voted against the Cheuvront amendment, it would have failed by 14-15. Joining in the vote of their fellow Democrats to damage your rights were two Democrats who have received favorable NRA ratings because of their prior support of pro-rights firearms legislation:

Senator “Manny” Alvarez: http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/136029 .
Senator Rebecca Rios: http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/148303 .

It is imperative that we let these 5 senators know, in no uncertain terms, what a grave mistake they have made. We strongly encourage everyone receiving this Alert to go to our Action Center and send the letter that is waiting there. We urge you to express your feelings and feel free to modify the language we have provided:
http://azcdl.capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14703956 .

This is NOT the end of our attempt to get Constitutional Carry passed this session. There are several opportunities that we can take advantage of. However, at this point SB 1102 will not be calendared for a Senate Third Read (final vote before being sent to the House) until we have determined the optimum strategy.

Bottom-line: We will not sacrifice your right to privately sell firearms in order to achieve Constitutional Carry!

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

AZ Constitutional Carry Scheduled for Senate Debate

SB 1102, the Senate version of Constitutional Carry, is scheduled to be debated on the Senate Floor tomorrow. Now would be a great time to contact your Senator to voice your support. More from AZCDL:

Your immediate action is needed to support SB 1102, the AzCDL-requested Senate version of Constitutional Carry that eliminates the prohibition and penalties for law-abiding adults who carry a concealed weapon without a permit.

A short while ago, the Senate placed SB 1102 on their Committee of the Whole (COW) agenda on Thursday, February 18, 2010. It is critical that you immediately contact your Senator and urge them to support SB 1102 during the COW debate. A letter is waiting to be sent by you at AzCDL’s Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14697526 .

If you care about restoring the right of law-abiding citizens to carry open or concealed, on their person or in their vehicle, without asking permission from the government, then contact your Senator right away!
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14697526 .

Also in the Senate COW on Thursday is SB 1153, which establishes that state law preempts local rules and ordinances concerning the regulation of knives and knife making components. We have also set up a letter on SB 1153 at our Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14697756 .

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew your membership today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

National Park Gun Ban Ending Soon

The existing weapons ban at our National Parks is ending next week on Monday February 22nd. Are any of you planning to visit a National Park next week? If so, you'll finally be free to defend yourself from two and four legged animals. When seconds count, a Park Ranger may be hours away if you're lucky enough to even have cell phone service. Your handgun or rifle on the other hand will be right at your side, ready to be a useful tool in defense of you & your family.

AZCDL Legislative Update

From AZCDL:

Three pro-rights bills are being debated in their respective Committee of the Whole (COW) [today], Thursday, February 11, 2010. We apologize for the last minute notice.

Please visit our Action Center to send a message of support for these bills to your Representatives and Senator. Use the prepared text or create your own message: http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/?style=D .

HB 2307, the House version of the “Firearms Freedom Act,” will be debated in the House COW.

SB 1021, which incorporates defensive display language into the statutes regarding the justification of deadly force, will be debated in the Senate COW.

SB 1172, which expands the list of qualified Arizona Gun Safety Program course instructors, will be debated in the Senate COW.

More information on these bills can be found here: http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/bills/ .

In other news, SB 1168 will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 15, 2010. A separate Alert is being drafted for contacting the committee members. SB 1168 strengthens state firearms preemption laws, adds firearms storage and accessories to the list of things political subdivisions cannot regulate, and removes the prohibition on carrying a firearm in public parks without a CCW permit.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police Hysteria

John Thomas, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police is worried that removing some of the current infringements on the right to keep & bear arms (Constitutional Carry) could somehow make Police Officers less safe. Someone should let John Thomas know that the Police only get attacked by criminal thugs, people who generally don't obey the thou shalt not murder law, much less the existing laws requiring a CCW permit.

JD & David responded to John's fears with excellent information. Hopefully JohnThomas will read up. I also recommend that John Thomas see a shrink soon about his Hoplophobia. An irrational fear of guns is something that the Lobbyist of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police should get addressed ASAP.

AZ: 118th Annual Washington's Birthday Match

The Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Association is sponsoring the 118th Annual Washington's Birthday Rifle Match at the Ben Avery Shooting Range this Feb 20th & 21st which includes a practice session and beginners clinic on Saturday February 20th. Chris says it's the longest continuously running rifle match in the nation, and it certainly sounds like a fun time to me.

Due to recent expansion at Ben Avery there is room for up to 320 shooters in the competition this year, so come one and all to join in on the fun! The deadline to submit your entry form is Feb 16th or whenever they hit the 320 shooter limit, whichever comes first. Don't miss out on the fun!

AZCDL Legislative Update

Update from Arizona Citizens Defense League:

Thanks to the hundreds of you generating almost 4,000 emails to committee members, we made great progress this week!

The companion AzCDL-requested Constitutional Carry bills, SB 1102 and HB 2347, were both voted out of their respective committees. The SB 1102 vote was 4-3 in the Senate Judiciary Committee and the HB 2347 vote was 5-2, with one member not voting, in the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee.

Both Constitutional Carry bills have been amended in almost identical fashion. The primary Constitutional Carry language remains intact! The biggest change was in the CCW training requirements. SB 1102 and HB 2347 originally proposed eliminating the CCW permit training altogether. The strong resistance to this was not unexpected. AzCDL-suggested language was added that improves, but no longer eliminates, the existing statutory CCW permit training requirements. This resulted in reduced opposition. Other changes to the Constitutional Carry bills include:

- Correcting the language regarding the sale (versus destruction) of confiscated weapons.
- Requiring CCW permit holders to have their permit, when required, and available to law enforcement.
- Preventing law enforcement from confiscating a weapon lawfully possessed by a permit holder.
- Other technical corrections.

As a result of AzCDL’s representatives addressing the concerns of “stakeholders” of SB 1102 and HB 2347, some of the law enforcement unions have changed their position to “neutral” (from “opposed”). This is critical to successful passage. And, the NRA has registered support for Constitutional Carry with their representative testifying during the HB 2347 hearings. We hope to see even more support from the NRA on these bills.

The next step for SB 1102 and HB 2347, as with all bills passing out of committee, is a review in the Rules Committee in their respective chambers before being scheduled for debate and vote on the Senate and House floors.

Constitutional Carry was not the only pro-rights issue being addressed this week.

SB 1011, authorizing college and university faculty members, with CCW permits, to possess a concealed firearm on campus, was heard in the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, but after discussion was “held” without a vote.

SB 1015, clarifying the "no firearms" signage requirements for restaurants, is also being held. An agreement was reached with the stakeholders (i.e., Liquor Lobby), to clarify the posting requirements via a change in the liquor laws. Senator Barbara Leff, chair of the Senate Commerce and Economic Development Committee (where SB 1015 is assigned) is closely monitoring the situation.

SB 1098, the "Firearms Freedom Act," was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 1, 2009. It passed out of committee by a party line vote of 4-3. The House version of SB 1098 (HB 2307) passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on January 28, 2010.

It looks like next week will be relatively quiet. Most key firearms related bills have been voted favorably out of their assigned committees and appear to be moving along nicely.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew your membership today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Project Appleseed

I took one of my boys to a Project Appleseed event in Buckeye Arizona at the General Joe Foss Shooting Range this past weekend. It coincided with the 1 year anniversary of the opening of the range, so we all took a short break to attend the flag ceremony put on by US Military Veterans which was a nice bonus. While waiting for the flag ceremony to begin, I found my friends from the Arizona Citizens Defense League had set up a table nearby, so I took a quick moment to renew my AZCDL membership early.

Massad Ayoob attended an Appleseed event in Florida the same weekend and did an excellent writeup of what Appleseed is all about. The description of what a rifleman is from the Appleseed website itself is:

What's a rifleman?

In short, a rifleman is an armed American, trained in the tradition of American Liberty. It's a man [or woman] who has learned to shoot a rifle accurately — accurate enough to score "expert" on the Army Qualification Course. Until you can do that, you're considered a "Cook," unprepared and unqualified to carry a rifle on the firing line of freedom. But after attending an Appleseed AQT shoot, you'll have the credentials necessary to be a true rifleman, and will understand the critical need for defending freedom in this country.

There was a great mixture of men, women, and children attending the Appleseed event. I can vouch for the fact that none of the women there felt outnumbered, and some of the best shots at the end of the day ended up being some of the women and young ladies shooting for the first time rifles they had never even fired before.

Steve and KC (known as AZGromit and AZRedhawk44 on the Appleseed forum) were knowledgeable & skilled instructors. They excelled at presenting the training materials in a way easy for all to follow & understand, and did a touching job of retelling the history of the American Rifelman and the people and events that lead up to the American Revolutionary War for the Independence and Freedom we still enjoy today.

There is probably an Appleseed Event coming to a location near you. Sign up, I'm confident that you'll be glad you did.

AZ:Committee Hearings This Week!

A bunch of pro gun bills will be heard at hearings this week. Be sure to contact your Representatives with your thoughts and submit your comments to the Arizona Request to Speak System for the hearings. If you are not yet registered for the Arizona Request to Speak System you can do so at any kiosk at the AZ House or Senate building (1700 W Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007).

If you are unable to attend the hearing in person, you can watch online via either live or archived video streaming.

More on the upcoming hearings from AZCDL:

Four pro-rights bills are scheduled for committee hearings next week.

SB 1098, the "Firearms Freedom Act," will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 1, 2009.

SB 1102, the AzCDL-requested "Constitutional Carry" bill, will also be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.

HB 2347, the House version of SB 1102 (Constitutional Carry), will be heard in the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

SB 1011, authorizing college and university faculty members, with CCW permits, to possess a concealed firearm on campus, will be heard in the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

We urge you to contact the committee members on these bills and WE’VE MADE IT EASIER FOR YOU!

AzCDL has added a Legislative Action Center to improve YOUR ability to contact Arizona legislators and share your opinion at http://capwiz.com/azcdl/home/ . This is the same interface used by Gun Owners of America and many other successful organizations.

To take action on the above bills from AzCDL’s Legislative Action Center home page, click on “Issues,” then click on “Legislative Alerts and Updates” (http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/?style=D&). There you will find a list of the bills mentioned in this Alert that require action. Clicking on any one of them will take you to an editable letter. You can add your own text or send it as is, after filing in the required fields. WE WILL NOT SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH ANYONE! We also recommend keeping the “remember me” box checked so that next time you send a letter there will be less work to do.

Our Legislative Action Center is new to us also. If you spot any errors or have any suggestions, please let us know by sending an email to treasurer@azcdl.org.

In other news, the following bills recently passed out of committee.

HB 2307, the House version of SB 1098 (Firearms Freedom Act), passed out of the House Judiciary Committee by a 5-2 vote, with one member absent, on January 28, 2010.

SB 1172, which improves the language in Arizona’s school gun safety program statutes, passed out of the Senate Education and Accountability Reform Committee, by a unanimous 7-0 vote, on January 27, 2010.

The normal process for any bill passing out of a committee is to go to their respective chambers Rules Committee. The following bills are due to be heard Monday, February 1, 2010 in the Senate Rules Committee:

SB 1021, which incorporates defensive display into the statutes regarding the justification for deadly force.

SB 1153, knife preemption.

SB 1172, school gun safety improvements.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

You can also follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts
and Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew your membership today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.