Free Republic

A bill repealing most of the gun free zones in the state for concealed carry permit holders passed the house on a 42-17 vote.   The main sponsor of the bill, Allen Jaggi, R-Lyman, said that it is a public safety issue.  Most of the Republican supports reemphasized that point.  From reuters.com: Backers of the Wyoming bill argued it would increase the safety of children enrolled in Wyoming’s 48 school districts by allowing school employees, from teachers to janitors, to be armed in class and on campus grounds. Supporters pointed to the 2012 massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, where a...

The Fort Huachuca museums, which closed to the public Oct. 11, 2014, are undergoing extensive renovations. The project includes long overdue upgrades and repairs to both the interior and exterior of the Main Museum, as well as the Museum Annex, which will house Buffalo Soldier exhibits. The Main Museum underwent several transformations in the 122 years since its construction in 1892. Immediately after its construction, at a cost of $4,926.70, the building served as the post chapel and later as the home of the post chaplain. By 1905, it was used as bachelor officers’ quarters, with a reception room, dining...

BENSON — When the show American Pickers comes through Arizona in March, Cochise County’s communities could have a lot to offer the documentary series. The county, with its colorful 1800s history of mining, ranching, military and Native Americans, is bound to be an ideal stopping place for this History Channel hit documentary series. American Pickers showcases the exploits of expert pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they search for America’s most valuable antiques. The two are interested in everything from old motorcycles, classic cars and bicycles to one-of-a-kind vintage memorabilia. They urge folks to tell them about unique collections...

A constitutional carry reform bill has been introduced in the West Virginia Senate this year, 2015.  SB347 would remove the penalties for carrying a concealed weapon, if the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms.   From legiscan.com:   (a) Any person who carries a concealed deadly weapon without a state license or other lawful authorization established under the provisions of this code, who is prohibited from possessing firearms under section seven of this article shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 and may...

Updated: 02/04/2015 6:58 PM | Created: 02/04/2015 8:10 AM By: Stuart Dyson, KOB Eyewitness News 4 Don't flush this idea down the drain just yet. Santa Fe's mayor stirred up quite a controversy with a plan for public restrooms that both men and women would use - but hang on - it's probably not what you're thinking. Javier Gonzales is not talking about men and women sharing big public restrooms. He's talking about ones with one toilet and one sink. Sometimes they're called "family" restrooms. You've seen them at places like Starbuck's and Target. "Right now businesses across New Mexico...

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)There's less than two weeks to go for all of us to have some form of health insurance, or be penalized by the government. That means there's a last minute push in communities like Minneapolis's Cedar Riverside Neighborhood to sign people up. Every immigrant community has its own unique barriers, but in the Somali community, advocates are racing against both time and culture. Timadde Aden is a typical case. He's never had health insurance, but enrolled for medical assistance today through MNsure at the Somali Health Solutions office in Minneapolis. One of the employees at that office, Hodan Guled, says,...

The NRA has filed suit against three Pennsylvania cities claiming their gun laws are illegal. In brief, the NRA states that only state legislation has the authority to regulate firearms and that municipalities are exceeding that line in the sand by openly breaking the law. Here have a look at the article.

At about 5:40 a.m. on Tuesday, the 27th of January, a vacationing police officer from Limerick, Ireland, was shot during an armed robbery in New Orleans.  Ireland has a low crime rate, much like most areas in the United States outside of the urban cores.   New Orleans' crime rate is much higher than most of the rest of the United States, so Hanrahan may be forgiven his apparent naiveté in the situation.   Hanrahan met a man who said he knew where they could get a drink at that time of the morning.  He went with a man he...

Updated: 02/02/2015 3:30 PM | Created: 02/02/2015 12:33 PM By: Elizabeth Reed and Blair Miller, KOB.com Albuquerque police arrested a 32-year-old man Monday afternoon after a multi-hour standoff involving APD's SWAT team near Jefferson and Indian School Rd. NE. According to Albuquerque police, Michael Edward Tyner was caught Monday trying to break into a home in the 1400 block of Adam. He then fled on foot and entered a house for sale at 1412 Jefferson. APD says he was seen with a knife in his hand at the time. Tyner, originally from South Carolina, had been released from the Metropolitan...

Updated: 02/02/2015 5:38 PM | Created: 02/01/2015 9:15 PM By: Elizabeth Reed and Blair Miller, KOB.com Albuquerque police say four people are dead and two others were injured in four separate shootings across the city Sunday night. Just before 9 p.m., officers responded to a shooting at a house in the North Valley on Rice Avenue NW near Rio Grande Boulevard. Inside the home, police found three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the victims, Paul Randy Rael, died at the hospital. The other two victims, Rael's 27- and 28-year-old sons, are expected to survive. According to the investigation,...

As noted here, Pope Francis, who once boasted of having been a bouncer,"has called for more women in the International Theological Commission, even after tripling the number of women on the team this past September. 'In the ever more diverse makeup of the Commission,' he said, 'I want to see a higher presence of women.' The Pope also said recently that it is chiefly women who pass on the faith, and urged men to listen to women more and not be so 'macho.' He said that men often don’t allow enough room for women while 'women are capable of seeing...

Imagine a social-justice version of the Girl Scouts.In Oakland, California, one alternative scout troop is far more socially active than their counterparts across the globe—and they’re not affiliated with the Girl Scouts. They call themselves, “Radical Brownies.” Their mission? “The Radical Brownies empower young girls of color so that they step into their collective power, brilliance and leadership in order to make the world a more radical place.” There are no badges for stitching, taking care of pets or being a good neighbor. Radical Brownies “badges earned are custom-made,” and “reflect our social justice and culturally-inclusive values.” Badges include Radical...

A gun law reform bill, HB1116, has been introduced into the South Dakota house.  The bill has 28 co-sponsors.  The house has 70 members, 58 of which are Republicans, and 12 Democrats.   36 votes will be needed to pass the bill.   In the Senate, there are 27 Republicans and 8 Democrats, a bit tighter ratio.   The South Dakota Governor is Dennis Daugaard, who has been in office since 2011.   Governor Daugaard vetoed a constitutional carry bill in 2012, citing concerns of law enforcement officials.   In 2013, Governor Daugaard signed a bill that specifically allowed school districts to...

Students from Houston Quran Academy sing the national anthem at the Texas Capitol. Condemnation of the anti-Muslim rage at the Capitol on Thursday was fairly widespread among the media, elected officials and other members of the political mainstream. House Speaker Joe Straus put out a statement saying, in part, “legislators have a responsibility to treat all visitors just as we expect to be treated—with dignity and respect.” The Dallas Morning News editorialized that the “disgusting spectacle at the state Capitol and Rep. Molly White’s ignorant Facebook babble make you embarrassed to be Texan.” Even Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano), a Christian...

It was an overcast Saturday in August, eight days after Michael Brown's death, when Juanita Morris rushed barefoot out the front door of Fashions R Boutique to watch hundreds of protesters surging north on West Florrisant Avenue. She was too excited to remember her shoes. "I was working and I saw my people out here, I'm for it, I'm supporting it, so I came out," said Morris, who moved her boutique to this spot in Dellwood ten years ago. She said she wasn't afraid of the looters and vandals that struck other business the previous night. She refused to board...

Former Alaska governor to discuss how women are showing 21st century leadership. UTPB’s John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute is hosting a lecture featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Feb. 12 at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center. As part of the Shepperd Distinguished Lecture Series, Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, will address the topic, “Groundbreakers, Mavericks and Trailblazers: How Women are showing 21st Century Leadership.” The lecture is free and open to the public and begins at 7 p.m. The event will be co-moderated by Patrick Canty, publisher of the Odessa American, and Robert Brescia, executive director...

(VIDEO-AT-LINK) GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A judge granted bond to two defendants charged in a wide ranging fake diploma scheme. Stanley and Yessica Jean will have a lot of restrictions on them but could soon be out of jail. Detectives say the evidence against the couple continues to mount every day, but a judge found they are not a flight risk and should be granted a bond. Yessica Jean took to the stand promising she and her husband would not run away if allowed out on bond in their fraud case. Channel 2 Action News first broke the story about...

More evidence has surfaced that California's Marin County Prosecutor, Ed Berberian, has a bias, perhaps even an obsession, against gun owners and self defense.  Six months ago Dr. James Simon defended himself and his wife of 38 years from an aggressive driver who followed him to his home, drove his Mercedes part way into the Simon's garage to prevent the door from closing, and persisted in invading the home after two warning shots were fired.   Doctor Simon shot the man and called the police. Berberian prosecuted anyway.  He has a history of aggressively prosecuting self defense cases, especially those...

Hollywood divorces are sensational news though they occur with enough regularity to render them humdrum. There’s always a peroxide blonde dumper or dumpee grabbing the headlines. When the split occurs on the political front and the dumper is the state’s newspaper of record, the news is even more compelling. In this case the blonde is Sen. Jeff Flake who is getting something far less than the royal treatment from the Arizona Republic —– not once, but twice, within 24 hours. On Saturday Jan. 24, the newspaper drew a parallel between Flake and Obama in a report that must have sent...

A bill to reduce defenseless victim zones on establishments of higher learning has been introduced in the Texas legislature.  It is commonly known as a "campus carry" bill, SB11. SB11 has 19 of 20 Republican senators as authors. They are; Birdwell | Bettencourt | Burton | Campbell | Creighton | Eltife | Estes | Fraser | Hall | Hancock | Huffines | Kolkhorst | Nelson | Nichols | Perry | Schwertner | Seliger | Taylor, Larry | Taylor, Van. There are only 31 senators in the Texas senate, so a majority of senators already agree with the bill. The...