Free Republic

Milford, NH --(Ammoland.com)- The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Constitutional Carry (HB 536) on this Wednesday, April 25th! I wish this meant the Senate intended to pass the bill. Unfortunately, my sources are telling me the Senate is already planning to kill this bill without a recorded vote. You read that right. Despite the fact that a majority of the Senate has pledged to support Constitutional Carry — Republican Senator Peter Bragdon is still leading the fight to make sure this bill doesn’t pass. What’s worse, in a sickening display of politics at its worst, anti-gun Senators...

Referencing today’s post on Glenn Beck and Constitutional Carry, I bumped into the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation at the NRA convention. I asked Alan Gottlieb if he could foresee a day when the entire country enjoyed permitless concealed carry (a la Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming and Vermont). “It’ll never happen,” the gun rights champion stated flatly. “New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Hawaii—it would have to get through the legislature, and that just isn’t in the cards.” Never? “Not in my lifetime.” Given Mr. Gottleib’s considerable contribution to our collective gun rights, let’s hope that’s a very long time. Let’s...

Guns.com is busy soaking in the sights, sounds (and smells?) of St. Louis at the 2012 NRA convention but our trip to Missouri has also given us a chance to mingle with gun owners, writers and lobbyists from across the country and swap notes. For example, the word on the street here in Saint Louie is that if a new proposal gets wings, NRA members will be permitted to carry their guns home with them, openly or concealed—on public transportation. Currently, Missouri state lawmakers are mired in legislation that works to block all cities (though this is clearly aimed St....

As expected, the Maryland Attorney General’s office has filed a timely notice of appeal in the case of Woollard v Sheridan which struck down Maryland’s requirement that an applicant for a handgun [carry] permit demonstrate a subjective “good and substantial reason.”

If you want to get these alerts directly, click here. A letter has been prepared and is waiting for you to send at AzCDL's Legislative Action Center. Current law allows the operator of any state or local government property, choosing to ban firearms, to simply slap up a “no firearms” sign while doing nothing to ensure the safety of those entering the property. HB 2729 would require them to also control access to the property using law enforcement officers, or armed guards and metal detectors, and would allow the operator of the property to be sued if they don’t comply...

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Pike County voters sent a message Tuesday in favor of gun rights. A question on Tuesday's primary ballot asked whether the county should adopt a constitutional carry of arms ordinance — and the answer was resoundingly yes by a vote of 3,214 to 550. Pittsfield chiropractor Dan Mefford spearheaded the ballot issue which he said had wide support from Democrats, Republicans and independent voters. "As far as I'm concerned, it's a poke in the eye for the thieves of liberty," Mefford said. "It's a thing whose time had come." Winning voter approval was key in sending what...

Dr. Suzanna Hupp was the special guest speaker at IGOLD in Springfield March 7. IGOLD is Illinois GunOwners’ Lobby Day. The purpose of IGOLD is to get Illinois in line with the other 49 states and allow its citizens the right to carry firearms for self-protection. The Illinois State Rifle Association is the primary sponsor of the event, but other organizations also participate. Each year since its inception, the attendance has grown. This year was no different. People from all over the state come to lobby their state legislators to persuade the last holdout, Illinois, to grant its citizens rights...

South Dakota HB 1248 is on Gov. Daugaard’s desk awaiting his signature. He has until March 19 to either sign or veto it. Gun Owners of America (GOA) strongly support this bill. I have been in touch with one of the co-sponsors of HB 1015, which was killed in committee. Rep. Betty Olson, SD District 28B told me that she took the original bill and added the requirement that residents must be 18 and hold a SD drivers license to carry a firearm without a state issued permit, because it was the only way to get the Bill out of...

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- Self-defense is a fundamental right. The U.S. constitution, the constitutions of 44 states, common law, and the laws of all states recognize the right to use arms in self-defense. RTC laws respect the right to self-defense by allowing individuals to carry firearms for protection. The Supreme Court, striking down the District of Columbia’s handgun ban in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), ruled that “the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right,” and that the amendment protects “the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation. This meaning is...

Yesterday, the Arizona state Senate Judiciary Committee passed two important gun bills: House Bill 2729, by a 6 to 2 vote, and House Bill 2457 which passed unanimously. Both of these bills have already passed in the state House and are now eligible for a full Senate vote. HB 2729, sponsored by state Representative David Gowan (R-30), would amend various sections of the Arizona Revised Statutes to remove the current prohibition on entering a public establishment or attending any public event while carrying a weapon on one’s person and instead provide for regulation of firearms and ammunition on public property...

DOES THE Second Amendment protect an individual right to carry a gun outside the home? Last week, a federal judge in Maryland concluded that it does and in the process struck down a Maryland licensing provision for carrying concealed weapons in public. Judge Benson Everett Legg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Maryland issued a thoughtful and measured decision but one that should be reviewed by the federal appeals court.

A proposed bill that would allow law-abiding Colorado gun owners to carry a concealed firearm without a concealed carry permit would be dangerous and would shoot down important gun training, two local firearms instructors said Sunday. Leonard Jimenez, president of the Pueblo Municipal Shooters, and Patrick Watts, a retired Arizona sheriff's deputy and firearms instructor, said education is the only safe way for people to understand concealed weapons laws. Watts held a four-hour seminar on the subject at the shooter's club Sunday. The state's current law prohibits carrying a concealed weapon and carrying a weapon on school, college or university...

PIERRE — State senators gave final legislative approval today to a major change in South Dakota’s concealed weapon laws: Adults wouldn’t need to apply for a permit anymore. The measure instead would require only that a person be at least age 18, have a South Dakota driver license and otherwise be eligible under existing state law. The Senate voted 22-11 to send the legislation to Gov. Dennis Daugaard for his decision whether to sign it into law. Rep. Betty Olson, R-Prairie City, was prime sponsor of the measure, House Bill 1248. It initially won approval from the House of Representatives...

A measure to let South Dakotans carry concealed weapons without a permit passed out of committee Friday morning. House Bill 1248 would require only a valid South Dakota driver’s license for an adult to carry a concealed weapon, as long as they were able to pass the background check currently required to receive a concealed carry permit. They would not be required to actually undergo that background check, though. People could be only be charged with a crime after the fact, if it was later found that they could not pass the background check. Now, the full Senate will vote...

Georgians would be allowed to carry concealed weapons in bars, public schools, most government buildings, college campuses and other locations under a sweeping gun bill filed in the House. In addition to banishing many current restrictions, House Bill 981 would prevent police or the National Guard from disarming people during states of emergency, and it would allow citizens to sue if that occurred. Rep. Sean Jerguson, R-Woodstock, one of the bill's co-sponsors, said Thursday that it strikes a balance between the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, and personal property rights. For instance, any church or business,...

New Hampshire could soon become one of the most pro-gun states in the country – a sanctuary where the Constitution is paramount and Americans don’t need the government’s permission to exercise their God-given rights. The bill is House Bill 536, sponsored by Representative J. R. Hoell, and it has already passed the House. The issue is “constitutional carry” – a concept which recognizes that Americans have the Second Amendment right to carry firearms without getting the government’s permission. Granite Staters would still be able to get a concealed carry license – for the purpose of thwarting the Brady Law and...

RICHMOND — The Republican-controlled General Assembly may make it legal to carry concealed weapons without a permit, even though gun owners support the current law. Virginia law requires a permit for concealed carry, but a measure proposed by State Del. Mark Cole, (R-Spotsylvania), would eliminate the permit requirement, making it legal for all gun owners to carry a concealed weapon. But two gun owners visiting Dominion Shooting Range in Chesterfield on Friday oppose changes to the law. “I think you should have to get a permit,” said registered Republican Craig Perry, 58, of Moseley. “I don’t think just anybody should...

Madison - Wisconsin residents have overwhelmed the state Justice Department with so many concealed weapon permit applications agency officials say they probably won't meet deadlines for issuing approvals this month despite pulling dozens of employees from other tasks to help. A state law that allows Wisconsin residents to carry concealed weapons went into effect Nov. 1. Under the law, state residents 21 or older who submit $50 to the Justice Department, pass an agency background check and prove they have received some firearms training can obtain a permit to carry. The law requires the agency to process applications received before...

It seems that if you're a New York Times reporter on a mission to prove something you think must be obvious and your research leads to the exact opposite result from what you smugly expected, you forge ahead and try to pretend that you proved your point anyway. At least that how it seems to have worked out for Times reporter Michael Luo in a report appearing in Tuesday's print edition which tried to show readers how one state which allows residents to carry concealed weapons with a permit is allegedly allowing large numbers of dangerous people to possess them....

When Tom Scocca applied to Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith three years ago for a permit to carry a concealed firearm, he thought he had all the right stuff. Not only was he a former police officer and sheriff's deputy working as a security manager at a major Silicon Valley tech company, he owned an investigative firm and was already licensed to openly carry a loaded gun. But the sheriff turned him down. Now that denial is the basis of a federal lawsuit in which Scocca alleges that Smith issues concealed-weapons permits in an arbitrary and capricious way. He...

A legislative committee approved a bill that would suspend several of the Department of Justice emergency rules for concealed carry, including the rule requiring a minimum time for training. On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules held a meeting regarding the training requirements to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon and passed the legislation suspending several of the DOJ’s emergency rules by a 6-3 majority. The next step for the bill will be to head to the Legislature for approval. The committee recommended in the legislation that parts of the DOJ’s emergency rule...

Licensing should not be part of exercising the right to keep and bear arms, the grassroots group Georgia Gun Owners asserts in a press release issued today. Announcing the pre-filing of the Georgia “Constitutional Carry” Act of 2012 (HB679) by State Representative Jason Spencer, the bill promises to eliminate the requirement to have a Georgia Weapons Carry License to carry firearms openly or concealed, as is currently established lawful practice in Vermont, Alaska, Arizona and Wyoming. Per Georgia Gun Owners, the legislation will: * Eliminate the mandatory intrusive government requirement for background checks of law-abiding Georgia gun owners; * Eliminate...

The Wisconsin Department of Justice has received more than 20,000 concealed carry applications since the law took effect Tuesday. Data from the state Justice Department show that as of 4 p.m. Friday, 20,476 applications had been submitted. Of those, 879 concealed carry licenses had been approved and 793 had been printed. Also, 117 applications were rejected. Agency spokeswoman Dana Brueck incomplete applicant data, insufficient training documentation or a missing payment are all reasons an application can be rejected. The state has 45 days to issue a license once a valid application is received. Brueck said the Justice Department is working...

Miami, Florida - -(Ammoland.com)- As we reported earlier, Florida Carry, Inc. planned to file lawsuits today against the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County to end their unlawful gun control ordinances. Moments before the cases were filed with the court, we received assurances from the Miami City Attorney’s Office that their unlawful ordinances will be repealed on November 17th. Miami-Dade County has also agendaed a measure to repeal its gun control laws. We have subsequently decided to suspend filing the cases against Miami and Miami-Dade. We will not file the lawsuits if the city and county repeal the offending ordinances...

It may be Nov. 1, the first day of the state's new concealed-carry law, but if you pack heat in Wisconsin without a valid permit to carry, prepare to be arrested, police said Monday. "They would technically be in violation of the law," said Sgt. Joe Seitz, who is also a range master with the Milwaukee Police Department. "They would be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, which is concealed carry weapon without a permit. So they would be arrested at that point. They'd be arrested for breaking the law." If you're a Wisconsin resident, it doesn't matter whether you...

On Tuesday, Wisconsin becomes the 49th state in the nation to allow its residents to carry concealed weapons. But how do you get a license to carry concealed? What can you carry? And where? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Wisconsin's concealed-carry law and some pointers on where you can find more information:

Give some credit to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, even if the outcome of the Evanovich case was nothing more than common sense. Darren Evanovich and his sister participated in an armed robbery outside of a grocery store in Minneapolis last week, which they concluded by pistol-whipping the middle-aged woman they robbed. A Good Samaritan chased after Evanovich, but Evanovich pulled the gun when he turned the corner. Unfortunately for Evanovich, the Good Samaritan had a carry permit and a handgun of his own — which he drew and fired after Evanovich drew first. Evanovich died almost immediately, and the...

Police called him a "Good Samaritan," but Minneapolis detectives were still investigating Friday the case of a man who shot and killed an armed robber he chased down the night before. The man who fired the fatal shot had a permit for his handgun and told police he used the weapon after the fleeing robber turned and confronted him behind a restaurant. Police spokesman Sgt. William Palmer said the department was leaning toward classifying the shooting as self-defense. "However, decisions on charging are left up to the county attorney's office. And since there's a death, it might even be taken...

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police say a man who witnessed an elderly woman being robbed and pistol-whipped shot and killed her attacker. Authorities say the armed robber confronted the woman in the parking lot of a grocery store about 10 p.m. Thursday, took her purse and hit her in the head with his gun. A man who witnessed the robbery chased the suspect and shot him. When police arrived, the witness told officers he had a permit to carry a gun and that he had shot the armed robbery suspect during a confrontation outside a nearby restaurant. He told officers where...

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/mark_10132011.html

With this week’s debate over federal concealed carry reciprocity legislation, the gun prohibitionist lobby – which sadly appears to include some law enforcement officials – has revealed (once again) that hypocrisy rather than bedrock is at its foundation. To wit: Suddenly gun control advocates have become states’ rights advocates. On Monday, a coalition of 600 mayors, along with police organizations, domestic violence groups, and prosecutors, announced a campaign to defend the states’ rights to decide who can carry concealed weapons. In less than five days more than 45,000 signed a petition against the bill.—SecurityManagement.com Not that we disagree, but so...

My mother is the person who made me. And she's done it twice. She caught me. Now what?? I don't remember a lot about the first time, because it began when I was too young to remember much of anything. But I clearly remember the second time she made me. It was shortly after I'd begun carrying a handgun for personal defense, before I'd figured out the art of giving someone a hug without giving away the secret. She and my father had offered to take my children to a movie, so the kids and I piled into the van...

I have always used a belly bag for concealed carry, but I am thinking about leather holsters now. Input sought.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/04/article-1300240-0AB052F2000005DC-955_468x603.jpg (copyright complaint prevents me from posting the pic directly)

I want to thank the Casper Journal for publishing the article by Greg Fladager outlining the Casper City Council’s proposed ban of open carry in their public meetings. I have a few comments regarding the proposed ban. During the City Council’s working meeting Aug. 8, acting Casper Chief of Police Chris Walsh stated that there haven’t been any incidents caused by a citizen legally carrying a sidearm in any city meetings here, but that there might be someday. None of the city council members could remember a time that a concealed or open carry weapon created a problem. The discussion...

**Remember that the Editors on this page are asking for us to "Send us a Letter to the Editor"!** Gun incident shows folly of N.H. laws August 01, 2011 2:00 AM A Portsmouth police detective was recently lauded for defusing a July 4 incident in which Stawbery Banke Museum officials asked a couple openly carrying pistols to leave a ceremony attended by the governor and a retired U.S. Supreme Court judge.

"If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for?" - Clint Smith "Remember the first rule of gunfighting ... have a gun." - Jeff Cooper "I'd much rather go to my grave never needing my gun, than go there wishing I had it." - Phil Dalmolin by Chad D. Baus At the beginning of every concealed handgun class I teach, I take a few minutes to go around the room and allow students to introduce themselves and say as much (or...

Milan, Illinois— Today, Illinois stands alone. It's the only state that does not allow its citizens to carry a concealed weapon. That's because Wednesday, Wisconsin became the 49th state to join the concealed carry club when its state assembly passed a bill allowing its citizens to carry personal weapons. Illinois' legislature was a few votes short of passing a concealed carry bill last month. It received 65 votes, six short of the 71 needed to pass the bill and override a promised veto from Governor Pat Quinn. Now, the news from Wisconsin has gun rights supporters even more energized to...

Wis. one of last states to approve concealed carryBy: SCOTT BAUER | Associated Press | 06/21/11 8:05 PM Lawmakers in Wisconsin, one of the last states to prohibit the carrying of concealed weapons, approved lifting the ban Tuesday and sent Republican Gov. Scott Walker a measure he is expected to quickly sign into law. Once Wisconsin's measure takes effect this fall, Illinois will be the only state that bans carrying guns, knives and other concealed weapons. Supporters of the measure, which passed Wisconsin's GOP-controlled Legislature with bipartisan support, said the fact that none of 48 other states with similar laws...

The Wisconsin State Assembly is scheduled to debate (and hopefully pass) SB93, the concealed carry bill, which has already passed the Wisconsin State Senate.

Gun ownership, carrying a gun linked to heavy alcohol use Large, multi-state study shows certain gun owners more likely to drink excessively June 14, 2011 (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Gun owners who carry concealed weapons or have confronted another person with a gun are more than twice as likely to drink heavily as people who do not own guns, according to a study by UC Davis researchers. Binge drinking, chronic heavy alcohol use, and drinking and driving were all more common among gun owners generally than among non-owners, even after adjusting for factors such as age, sex, race, and state of...

OAKLAND, Calif. - By a strange twist of fate, the Twins will be in Arizona this morning to say goodbye to hall of fame slugger Harmon Killebrew, the face of the franchise when he played 14 seasons in Minnesota and their godfather the past decade. Morneau is one of three current Twins joining manager Ron Gardenhire and Killebrew's former teammates Rod Carew and Tony Oliva and former manager Frank Quilici as pallbearers for this morning's funeral service in Peoria, Ariz.

...She and the Illinois State Rifle Association are suing Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Gov. Pat Quinn, Union County State's Attorney Tyler Edmonds, and Union County Sheriff David Livesay. The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, states she was denied the right to defend herself due to Illinois laws that prohibit citizens from carrying a handgun for self-defense...

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire could become the fourth state to eliminate the need for a permit to carry concealed, loaded guns anyplace not prohibited by law - but the issue won't be decided this year.

Greetings in Freedom, First, please vote in this online poll regarding constitutional carry at JSonline: http://www.jsonline.com/polls/121491889.html Second, there has been a number of questions from people regarding which concealed carry public hearings to attend this week. At this point there is a lot of hearsay and speculation about what is going on in Madison. Unfortunately, though it shouldn't be that way, that is how our government has come to operate. In a perfect world, legislators would be happy to share what they believe, and stand behind their position. We do not live in a perfect world. From my discussions with...

The Uptown robbers struck again Tuesday night, only this time their victim was armed, police say. Edward Curtis, 61, who described himself to police as an ex-Marine, fired several shots at a group of men who attacked him as he got out of his car near his apartment, according to police records. Curtis thinks he may have struck one of the men, said Minneapolis Police Lt. Mike Fossum. "He had just parked his car in the parking lot," said Fossum. "These guys blitzed him. They just started kicking his ass. He managed to get off three rounds." The suspects, one...

"There now are 200 Members of Congress cosponsoring a bipartisan national CCW reciprocity bill offered by Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Heath Shuler (D-NC)," gun rights expert John M. Snyder said here today. "It's time for Congress to move forward on H.R. 822, the proposed National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011," he added. "It would provide a national standard with which nonresidents of a state may carry concealed firearms in the state." "An individual who has a state-issued permit to carry a concealed firearm ought to be able to carry in any state in accordance with the law," Snyder said....

The law had a 65-52-1 vote on Thursday, but due to Home Rule this is about the only thing home rule seems to affect. It needed 60% supermajority to pass with 71 House votes, Governor Quinnochio just repealed the Death Penalty he campaigned support for last fall and this week he comes out against Concealed carry and he Daley, and Emmanuel twisted and bought off enough votes to stop it, the Chicago way. House vote on concealed carry *By party Party, yes, no, present ... Democrats, 14, 49, 1 Republicans, 51, 3, 0 *By region Region, yes, no, present Chicago,...

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A proposal expanding the right to use deadly force in self-defense continues its advance through the Republican-controlled Legislature. The gun bill from GOP Rep. Tony Cornish goes before a House judiciary panel Wednesday after passing a public safety committee last week. The legislation would grant the right to defend oneself using deadly force in an expanded definition of home, including a garage, car, deck, tent, boat, overnight accommodation or other dwelling. The person wouldn't have to retreat from a threatening situation first.

Two important pro-gun bills need your immediate attention. As we reported last week, House File 1467 passed in the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee by a 10 to 7 vote. HB 1467, which is sponsored by state Representative Tony Cornish (R-24B), is now before the House Judiciary Committee and will be voted on during its hearing at 8:15 a.m. this Wednesday, May 4. The Senate companion bill sponsored by state Senator Gretchen Hoffman (R-10), Senate File 1357 Senate File 1357, is expected to be considered by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee as early...