Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- Founded in 1999, Ohioans for Concealed Carry is one of the largest civil rights organizations in Ohio, serving the state’s 210,000 concealed carry licensees.

We have worked successfully with Ohio’s legislators and governors for more than 10 years to ensure that all Ohioans are able to safely and lawfully protect themselves and their families.

Today, OFCC calls on Allen Schulman and Daniel Harless to immediately resign from their positions as president of the Canton City Council, and member of the Canton Police Department, respectively. Their recent conduct demonstrates that they are no longer worthy of the public trust.

• Schulman recently refused to denounce the unlawful behavior of police officer Daniel Harless, who threatened an unarmed, handcuffed citizen with execution (video here). Harless also threatened to “blast in the mouth,” “cave in [the citizen's] head,” and “step back and put 10 rounds in .” By remaining silent during one of the worst cases of police abuse in recent U.S. history, Schulman has given the unmistakable impression of protecting – and even condoning – his employee’s behavior. Moreover, Schulman’s arrogant silence during this tragedy has set off a chaotic loss of public confidence in Canton’s police force – a dangerous scenario and threat to public safety.
• In remarks to WHLO News (audio here), Schulman announced his contempt for Ohio state law that guarantees the basic human right of self-defense. Firearm laws that allow licensed, law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families in dangerous locations are “not acceptable in our society,” he said. We believe that his contempt for the right of self-defense is morally identical to a hatred of the free practice of religion, or an attack on the right of journalists to report news and opinion at will. All these activities are Constitutionally enumerated rights; an elected official who discloses their contempt of a basic human right is unfit for public office in the United States and should be removed forthwith.

Over the past several days, the behavior of Harless has been roundly condemned by civil rights leaders, attorneys, law enforcement officers and administrators, law professors, news commentators, and ordinary citizens across the country; Schulman, too, has frequently been named.

We are dismayed that City of Canton leaders have not responded to this crisis with the urgency it demands, and that organizations like ours have to call for decisions to be made.

Schulman and Harless should resign immediately.

We hope that these changes will at once bring renewed stability, and accountability, to the City of Canton.

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

AmmoLand Gun News

Canton, OH --(Ammoland.com)- After a video of Canton, OH police officers threatening the life of a concealed carry permit holder went viral and on national TV, an elected town council member went on this rant against concealed carry and the right of people to defend themselves.

Is it any wonder that Police Officer conduct like that of Daniel Harless can go “unnoticed” or maybe even encouraged with people like this running the show in Canton, OH?

This is an excerpt from an interview on a radio show, WHLO 640 AM, featuring Canton City Council President Alan Schulman.

Listen to the video above for his shocking response and leave us a comment below on who is right and who is wrong?

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- We’ve all wondered what our first armed traffic stop is going to turn into. For me I was driving a 1996 Ford explorer with 4″ tall white letters that read: OHIOCCW.ORG across the back of my hatch.

The officer stepped out of his vehicle and approached my car in a rather large arc so that when he could see into my doorway he was easily twenty feet away from my car.

We were each other’s first armed traffic stop and as I realized what was taking place I chuckled and said “So, Obviously you know, Right?”

That didn’t happen to a man in Canton, Ohio who had his license for just 30 days on June 8th of this summer. What happened is a problem we’ve heard all too often.

Police are trained to own control over a situation, to refuse to get into a discussion with you that would distract their awareness, and to command you into compliance. Often, this leads into unintended consequences where a concealed handgun licensee trying to “promptly inform” the officer that they’re armed is shouted down, ordered to shut up, or told to look away from the officer’s direction.

The seventeen minutes of dash camera footage we are now able to show you will likely horrify you.

In this case the driver remains in his vehicle while the officer, in what appears to be an illegal search at first glance, enters the rear of the vehicle. The licensee tries to turn his head and notify and is promptly told to turn away and shut up.

Later, when the second officer approaches his door he can be heard on camera saying “I have a conceal..” at which point the officer barks at him that he “Better tell the truth”, which thwarts the driver’s attempts to notify and confuses him into saying why he is truthfully where he is at that hour.

As he exits the vehicle and the officers realize he is armed their reaction is absolutely horrific.

The treatment of the driver while he is detained, handcuffed, and placed in the back of the cruiser is truly hard to watch. After you watch this video, please go to http://OhioCCW.org/CantonPD and consider a donation to the legal defense fund.

We need your help to fix this injustice, and we need your help to use these events to repeal the law in Ohio that puts you into a shouting match with an officer who doesn’t want to hear you speak.

If you use Facebook, Twitter, or other social media please consider helping us spread this video to everyone you know.

Discussion is here in OhioCCWForums.org – If you use other forums, cross post!

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Governor Kasich Signs Restaurant Firearms Carry Into Law

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- Just over an hour ago I had the honor of watching Governor John Kasich sign Senate Bill 17 and House Bill 54 into law in the Cermony Signing room of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.

I was joined today by our legislative coordinator Gary Witt, a long-time coordinator (and key HB203 architect) Mike Kinsey, and members of our legal counsel team including Mr. David Kessler, Esq. and Derek Debrosse, Esq.

Shortly after concealed carry became law in 2004 it became quite obvious that one of the biggest flaws in our law was the fact that you couldn’t walk into most restaurants. Within a year the Ohioans For Concealed Carry Board of Directors concluded that this topic was one of the most requested and sought after fixes from our supporters. We regularly tried to make this an issue that got traction, but it always fell to the side of other equally important topics – such as statewide preemption.

Finally, in 2009, we wrote our own law and started shopping the concept to various law makers. Since the day that the Legislative Services Counsel came back with our proposed legislation with virtually no changes this legislation has existed as a bill under consideration in one form or another. As you read our website today you will find a story by Gary Witt that goes into the very nitty gritty details of what it took to make this law happen over the past three years. If you appreciate the hard work and effort that went into this, help us grow our influence by signing up friends and family you see over the Fourth of July as members of Ohioans For Concealed Carry.

Finally, an article on our website by Phil Mulivor aims to explain to you exactly what is changing in Ohio law in an incredibly easy to read manner. Watch for these to appear today on our website.

It is vital that you walk away with this understanding: If the bill is filed with the Secretary of States office today (June 30th), I expect it to “go into effect” on Thursday, September 29th. If the bill isn’t considered filed until Friday (July 1st), I do not expect the bill to “go into effect” until Friday, September 30th — what this basically means is DO NOT start carrying a firearm in your vehicle or a restaurant as if these new regulations exist, because “legal day one” is not until this fall.

As of 4:55pm the Secretary of State’s office advised Ohioans For Concealed Carry they have not received the law. Once that date is absolutely finalized by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office we will publish it on our websites.

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- The Ohio House of Representatives may call for a vote on SB17 (the “restaurant carry” bill) this afternoon, June 15.

The House is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m.

Please call your representative immediately and voice your support for SB17 by going here and looking up who your Representative is – then, call their offices immediately and express your support for SB17 and tell them that you will be watching to see how they vote.

A live video stream of House proceedings will be available when the House goes into session at: www.ohiochannel.org/Index.aspx?liveStreamId=10

De ja vu?
The House already had this debate a few weeks ago when they took up HB45, so why are they debating SB17? Quite simply, both bills have passed the house that they originated in – so HB45 passed the House a few weeks ago and SB17 passed the Senate even earlier.

SB17 is the superior bill due to an amendment that was adopted in the Senate that was not adopted in HB45. Therefor, it makes more sense for the Ohio House to adopt SB17 instead of the Ohio Senate picking up HB45.

If the Ohio House passes SB17 today without any amendments it goes to the Governor for his signature. If there are amendments, the bill goes back to the Ohio Senate for a full Senate vote to concur with any amendments.

2011 Party In The Park 8 – July 30th
OFCC’s eighth annual Party In The Park is scheduled for Saturday, July 30th, 2011 at Liberty Park in Powell, Ohio. Once again, we will have great food, entertaining speakers, door prizes and even better companionship!

Scheduled speakers include Representative Danny Bubp, sponsor and primary mover of HB45, the Restaurant Carry Bill, and Kevin Coughlin, the declared candidate for the Republican primary in the Senate race against Sherrod Brown. We will also bring you up to date on pending legislation and actions which OFCC has taken and has planned.

Is your local city park banning firearms?
In the past two weeks we’ve become aware of a city actively writing rules to ban concealed carry (or firearms in general) in their city parks – and we’ve become engaged in that process. The State of Ohio is huge, so the only way WE can become involved is if YOU tell us its happening.

Use the Contact Us link at OhioCCW.org to tell us about any city owned parks that have either published rules or signs prohibiting concealed carry anywhere other than a building – so if you see one on a pavilion, the entrance to a park, the parking lots, or a building that is primarily a restroom take a photo and get in touch with us.

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- An editorial I wrote on behalf of Ohioans For Concealed Carry has been published in numerous mainstream news papers this weekend (Links more below).

When Ohioans For Concealed Carry set out to write the first restaurant carry bill in Ohio (HB203) we intentionally tried to avoid what most people consider “bars” because we knew what was inevitable from opponents. That legislation specifically stated that an establishment had to have a food service license, which we soon found out most bars likely have because they serve some kind of food – but we tried.

Its nearly impossible to write a law that differentiates a Class D license issued to a “bar” from a Class D license issued to a restaurant in Ohio. Since 2009 as support for this legislation has grown we’ve seen the opponents and the news media trumpet the same collection of lies: Guns and Alcohol don’t mix, guns and stadiums don’t mix, etc. Now they’re interviewing the staff at bars and asking them how they’ll install metal detectors and deal with armed people in a bar. Seriously?

While none of these points are relevant to the HB45 debate the media has aggressively driven these points home, turning this into a sensational misrepresentation of the legislation or the facts.

When the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote this article last week I was quoted pointing out how very hypocritical it is that police unions say “guns and alcohol don’t mix” but they snuck the very same provisions into HB347 in 2007 for every police officer in the State of Ohio, off duty or not. This caused the current Ohio FOP president to change the argument to one we heard for years during the original concealed carry debate: “We have more training.”

Jay McDonald, president of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, said it is ridiculous to compare a trained police officer to a regular citizen who happens have a concealed carry permit.

“We are required to meet a much higher level of training and re-training for how to properly handle our weapons and we are trained to know in which situations to shoot and not to shoot,” McDonald said. “If they want to require the same level of training for CCW holders as I have to meet as a law enforcement officer, then we will drop our opposition.”

Why do we need more training to be armed in a restaurant while not drinking if the very same activity is lawful today in a place that doesn’t have a liquor license? The FOP’s position is such an absurd example of the misdirection this debate has taken, that we finally needed to respond to the critics. The news media has surprisingly obliged as a substantial number of them have published the editorial, although the Plain Dealer’s title is quite aggressive:

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Police fear-mongering at heart of Ohio’s restaurant-carry debate
Columbus Dispatch:  Distortions mar debate on gun bill
Akron Beacon Journa: Guns in Bars? Not really
Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘Restaurant-carry’ legislation not just about guns in bars
Lorain Morning Journal: Guest OP-ED — Guns in bars: No, not really
Kent Patch: Letter to the Editor: Guns in Bars: No, Not Really

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- As Ohio lawmakers debate legislation that would allow licensed citizens to carry a concealed, holstered handgun into restaurants that serve alcohol, opponents of the bill continue to reject an intellectually honest discussion of the facts.

They’ve morphed the ”restaurant carry” discussion into a campaign of fear.

This legislation simply never mixes alcohol consumption and handgun possession, period, regardless of what you’ve read or been told.

Ohio’s concealed handgun licensees already can carry into nearly any burger joint. But if they try to have a hamburger and Coke at a Max & Erma’s while armed, they commit a crime. The only difference between the lawful and criminal act is the presence of a liquor license at a particular restaurant.

That’s the simple problem that ”restaurant carry” legislation is designed to fix.

This legislation simply was never about being able to carry a gun into a bar — it’s about being able to retain your gun at a Max & Erma’s instead of leaving it in the car as an invitation to thieves and thugs.

It is already a misdemeanor to be in possession of a handgun while under the influence of alcohol. The proposed legislation increases that penalty to a felony, a year or more in jail, and the loss of one’s right to own a firearm ever again.

When you see stories implying that people will start carrying guns into bars, remember: There are more than 210,000 concealed carry licensees in Ohio. You encounter them every day as they go to and from picnics, supermarkets, weddings, barbeques, liquor stores, and homes — all of which are opportunities to consume as much alcohol as they please.

So, what keeps them from doing exactly that? The law — the same law they had to scrupulously obey in order to qualify for their concealed carry license in the first place. And the same law that will make it a felony to carry in a bar while consuming alcohol.

Fear-mongering opponents of this legislation also have scared some into thinking that the proposed law entitles citizens to carry firearms into sports stadiums. But the truth is exactly the opposite — nothing in the bill prevents sporting franchises from continuing to prohibit firearms on their premises, as they already do today.

The Ohio Ohio Fraternal Order of Police misleads you with ”guns and alcohol don’t mix,” but when you point out all law enforcement in Ohio was given this very right to be in a restaurant, off duty, without any prohibition on consumption, their current president falls back on their standard ”we have more training” red herring. They also have FOP lodges with Class D liquor permits.

Contradicting their catch phrase, the FOP now implies there is a level of training that makes mixing guns and alcohol acceptable, but only if you’re a cop.

Don’t fall for it.

Because our legislation is strictly about not drinking any alcohol their position is akin to saying a concealed handgun licensee may walk down the bread aisle of a grocery store, but only police officers may walk down the liquor aisle.

If we’re going to continue to discuss the restaurant carry bill, let’s at least ”keep it real.” That’s what honest and reasonable people deserve.

Garvas is the president of Ohioans For Concealed Carry.

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Buckeye Firearms Foundation

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- By a 56 – 40 margin, the Ohio House has passed House Bill 45, sponsored by Representatives Danny Bubp (R-West Union) and Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) which will allow citizens who hold a valid concealed handgun license (CHL) to carry a firearm in restaurants.

To do so, license holders may not consume any alcohol and must not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. According to OpenCarry.org, 42 states (including every state that borders Ohio) allow non-drinking license holders to carry firearms in restaurants.

The bill also reduces burdensome restrictions regarding how a license holder must transport a firearm in a car. Currently, Ohio is the only state to place such complex limitations on license holders.

One month ago, the Ohio Senate passed an amended version of this legislation (SB17) by a 25-7 margin, having adding a provision to provide a way for people who were convicted of improperly transporting a firearm under the current law to receive relief if they would have been in compliance under the law as amended.

Before the bill passed, Rep. Todd McKenney (R-New Franklin) offered an amendment to strip restaurant carry from the bill. The anti-gun amendment was defeated by a 58-38 vote to table. Buckeye Firearms Association can report that McKenney answered our 2010 candidate survey just as did Rep. Matt Lundy (D), who BFA recently exposed for having lied on his 2010 candidate survey by promising to vote for the legislation in order to win a good grade and an endorsement, only to reverse course within weeks after being in office.

Other anti-gun amendments were offered by Reps. Ted Celeste (D), Mike Foley (D) (who invoked “the Wild Wild West atmosphere” he says “could and would happen” in bars, before introducing an admittedly “sarcastic” amendment), Sandra Williams (D), Tracy Heard (D) (who asked “what’s to guarantee me that any one of the members in this chamber who hold a concealed carry wouldn’t shoot me in the head?” and said she believes if the bill passes “there isn’t going to be anyone in Ohio who isn’t carrying a gun.”) and Bill Patmon (D) (who cited examples of a few CHL-holders who have broken the law as representative of what he must expect will happen here). Those amendments too were tabled or defeated – Celeste’s by a 62-34 margin, Foley’s 72-23, Williams’ 64-32, Heard’s 61-34 and Patmon’s 64-32.

Several Democrats also rose in opposition to the bill. Most notably, Rep. Mark Okey (D), rose to complain that a letter sent to Representatives by Buckeye Firearms Association was “threatening” and “intended to intimidate us.” Okey also claimed that bar owners would be liable for the actions of those carrying a concealed handgun license.

Ken Hanson, Legislative Chair of Buckeye Firearms Association, said, “That is not true. Okey needs to refer to Ohio Law, specifically 2923.126(C)(2)(a) which says ‘A private employer shall be immune from liability in a civil action for any injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly was caused by or related to a licensee bringing a handgun onto the premises or property of the private employer, including motor vehicles owned by the private employer, unless the private employer acted with malicious purpose.’”

Okey concluded his remarks by with this: “Buckeye Firearms, you have to earn my vote” and asserted that he was voting ‘no‘ as an act of “legislative self-defense,” shouting “Every citizen has a right to defend his house. This is our House,” he said, referring to the Statehouse. There will no doubt a good number of voters who will look forward to reminding Okey in 2012 that it is not, in fact, his House, it is The People’s House, and it is he who has to earn our vote.

The House also passed House Bill 54, sponsored by Representatives Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) and Jarrod Martin (R-Beavercreek), which seeks to align Ohio law with federal statutes regarding the restoration of rights to Ohio firearms purchasers. The bill passed by a 78-18 majority. An amended version of that bill was already passed in the Senate by a 25-7 margin.

Ken Hanson, Legislative Chair of Buckeye Firearms Association, said, “These bills address three important issues facing Ohio gun owners and concealed carry license holders and seek to align Ohio law with federal law and the laws of our surrounding states.”

Even though both the House and Senate have passed substantially similar bills, each bill must go through the normal committee vote and floor vote process in the opposite chamber before it can be sent to Governor Kasich. Only one bill on each topic will actually make it to the Governor. Buckeye Firearms Association is hopeful that the Ohio General Assembly can expedite these bills, because opportunity for proponent and opponent testimony has already been given in each chamber, and so that both bills can be sent to Governor Kasich before the summer recess.

About:
Buckeye Firearms Association is a grassroots political action committee dedicated to defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities. Visit: www.buckeyefirearms.org

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- Last last night Ohioans For Concealed Carry sent this letter to the Ohio Senate and this letter to the Ohio House asking the President and Speaker of legislature to announce a fast track schedule of sending these bills to the Governor. A substantial majority of the legislature has voted in favor of this legislation. (NOTE: Action items at the end of this alert, please read through and share with friends)

Following yesterday’s passage of HB45 in the Ohio House of representatives a never seen before scenario in the history of gun rights legislation came about that confuses the future of Restaurant Carry legislation in Ohio.

First, the Ohio Senate sent the Ohio House two bills in April that are virtually identical to the bills the House passed yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon: Senate Bills 17 and 61.

Yesterday’s actions sent HB45 and HB54 to the Ohio Senate. In essence, both chambers of the legislature have passed virtually the same exact legislation save for one minor amendment the Senate adopted in SB17 that allows for expunging prior convictions for activity that would now be lawful in Ohio.

In order for either set of these bills to be sent to the Governor’s office they must go through three more committee hearings (or be pulled to the floor procedurally), they must get another floor vote, and if HB45 were the chosen “vehicle” a decision would need to be made on if the amendment adopted in SB17 would be amended in HB45. If it was adopted in the Senate they’d have to send HB45 back to the Ohio House for a concurrence vote of the entire House of Representatives.

For this reason alone, the most preferred path is for the Ohio House to procedurally fast track SB17 and SB61 to the House Floor, pass them, and send them directly to the Governor’s office next week.

ACTION ITEM: Go to http://legislature.state.oh.us and identify your Representative and Senator using your zip code and CALL their office (do not email them) and tell them that you want to see these bills fast tracked. (Use the SB numbers when calling your Rep, use the HB numbers when calling your Senator) — Then, call the leaders of each chamber and ask them to fast track both bills:

• Senate President Thomas E. Niehaus: (614) 466-8082
• Speakler of the House William G. Batchelder: (614) 466-8140

Finally, call Governor John Kasich’s office at (614) 466-3555 and tell them you want to see Restaurant Carry become law.

DO NOT USE EMAIL OR WEB BASED CONTACT FORMS – MAKE THE PHONE CALLS!

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Grass Roots North Carolina for Firearms Education

North Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- HB 111 – Parks & Restaurants; In a bruising battle fought by both legislators and GRNC’s Legislative Action Team, HB 111, “Handgun Permit Valid in Parks & Restaurants” fought its way out of the NC House Judiciary A Subcommittee and now heads for a floor vote as early as tomorrow.

Both strengthening and weakening changes were made to the bill.

REP. HILTON’S SUBSTITUTE
Working with GRNC, bill sponsors Mark Hilton (R-Catawba, ****), Jeff Barnhart (R-Cabarrus, ****) and Fred Steen (R-Rowan, ****) produced an enhanced version of HB 111 which included concealed carry not only in municipal parks, but in state parks as well. The substitute was quickly adopted as the working vehicle for the bill.

COMMITTEE FIGHT
Anti-gun Reps. Deborah Ross (D-Wake, GRNC 0-star), Bill Faison (D-Durham, **), and Larry Hall (D-Durham, 0-star) tried to tie up the bill with repeated questioning and with contradictory and shifting amendments. Ross demanded that, in restaurants, servers ask diners ordering alcohol whether they are carrying firearms. In a confusing array of amendments to amendments, ultimately the committee passed an amendment to the bill under which restaurants MAY but are not REQUIRED to ask those ordering alcohol of their status. As noted below, GRNC will vociferously oppose even this weakened language on the House floor.

An equally confusing series of amendments was offered by Faison, who tried to remove both municipal and state parks from the bill. After Hilton, Barnhart and Steen opposed Faison’s proposals, they ultimately failed in an 8-5 vote.

In an effort to tie up the bill, Faison repeatedly dogged bill sponsors with questions about why permit-holders need to protect their families in restaurants, demanding unavailable crime statistics and complaining “Where’s the problem?” Hall painted fanciful pictures of shootouts between patrons in restaurants, and demanded exclusion of parks for the sake of “youth groups,” saying he didn’t want permit-holders “further endangering” kids.

But leading the charge to subvert gun owners’ ability to protect themselves was Ross, who claimed support for her weakening amendment from the Restaurant Association (whose lobbyist then stood to oppose the Ross amendment), and whined that concealed carry is specifically exempted from the right to keep and bear arms enumerated in the North Carolina Constitution.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
HB 111 could head to the House floor as early as tomorrow, and almost certainly by next week. Immediate take the following actions:

• E-MAIL ALL MEMBERS OF THE NC HOUSE: Use GRNC’s automated e-mail to send a customizable message by going to: http://grnc.org/alerts/email3_9_11.htm and delivering the message that members should not only pass HB 11, but should remove the Ross amendment.
• CALL YOUR HOUSE REP: Tell he or she to support HB 111 with no further weakening amendments. You can identify your representative to the NC House by going to: http://www.grnc.org/contact_reps.htm
• SHUT DOWN ROSS, FAISON AND HALL: Deliver a clear message that you will not tolerate meddling with gun rights legislation by calling the offices of Reps. Ross 919-733-5773, Faison 919-715-3019 and Hall 919-733-5872 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM on Thursday, March 10. If you happen to miss that time period, call them whenever you can.

Deliver This Message —————

Honorable Members of the NC House:

For sixteen years, North Carolina concealed handgun permit-holders have proven themselves sane, sober and law-abiding. Their overwhelming responsibility is demonstrated by the fact that permit revocations run mere tenths of a single percent.

Because the ability of lawful North Carolinians to protect themselves and their families in restaurants and parks is long overdue, I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO SUPPORT HOUSE BILL 111: “Concealed Handgun Permit Valid in Parks and Restaurants” by all means substantive and procedural, and to pass the bill WITHOUT WEAKENDING AMENDMENTS. Under the bill, restaurants would still be able to post against firearms, and nothing would change the current prohibition on permit-holders consuming alcohol while carrying firearms.

I also expect you to support removing Representative Deborah Ross’ amendment which would require permit-holders to disclose whether they are carrying firearms to restaurant servers, patrons, and potentially criminals. Under the Ross amendment, if a permit-holder orders an alcoholic beverage for someone else – even though the permit holder consumes no alcohol – he or she could be required to make that tactically unsound and potentially dangerous disclosure. If not removed, the Ross amendment will eventually cost lives.

I will monitor actions on HB 111 via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,

—————

About:
Grass Roots North Carolina/Forum for Firearms Education is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to educating the public about trends which abridge the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and engaging in grass roots activism to preserve those freedoms. Formed in 1994 to conduct a highly successful rally for the Second Amendment, GRNC has gone on to conduct projects like “Remember in November: A Gun Owner’s Guide to Voting,” bringing concealed carry to North Carolina. Visit:www.grnc.org

NRA - ILA

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- NRA-ILA grass roots news continues to cover break gun rights news with a new and improved format for the “Grassroots News Minute” video!

Cam Edwards talks to Linda Walker from Buckeye Firearms about Restaurant Carry bills passing in Ohio.

To view the current video in its new format, please click above:

Read More on these topics:

• Ohio Restaurant Carry Bill Needs Your Support
• Tennessee Court Rules Restaurant Carry Law Unconstitutional
• Ohio Restaurant Carry Legislation Is Moving Fast

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- Restaurant Carry: Last Tuesday Representatives Danny Bubp and Terry Johnson provided excellent sponsor testimony before the Ohio House State Government & Elections Committee.

In our effort to bring Statehouse politics to your desktop we recorded that nearly 32 minute hearing and put it on YouTube.

If you’ve never seen a hearing in Columbus before you can watch two members of the Ohio House provide the initial introduction of a bill before a committee above.

* Note, due to horrible acoustics in some House committee rooms the audio in this hearing has some echo to it and is best heard with headphones.

YOU CAN SPEAK TUESDAY:
On Tuesday February 15th at 1:30pm in the afternoon this same committee will be allowing proponents like you and me to address them and tell them why we think this bill should be passed into law. Can you make it?

If so, arrive up to thirty minutes early and be prepared to speak in favor of either the restaurant carry or handling in a motor vehicle sections of HB45. Representatives from Ohioans For Concealed Carry will be on hand to tell our elected officials why we support this bill – but you need to be there too if you can make it! Why?

Because next week our opponents will likely be there trying to KILL THIS BILL. Police officer representatives, union leadership, and many others pretending to speak on behalf of everyone in their profession will be there to say that “guns in bars” are bad — but we need to hammer home the truths.

Can you be there?

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Ohioans For Concealed Carry on Ohio Senate Restaurant Carry Bill

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- Recently the news media and pundits have gone out of their way to misrepresent the truth behind Senate Bill 239, legislation that would allow a concealed handgun licensee to enter a restaurant or other liquor serving business.

When this bill was introduced it was stated “when you go to the next Indian’s game someone will have a beer in one hand and a gun in the other hand”, and recently this bill has been opposed with the phrase “mixing guns and bars,” which is effective but inaccurate propaganda.

The graphic above shows that Ohio is not adopting a new idea. In fact, 16 of the 18 states that honor Ohio’s concealed handgun license while Ohioans travel allow Ohioans to carry a firearm in restaurants that serve alcohol in those states. Source: http://opencarry.org MYTH: SB239 is to allow concealed hangun licensees to carry in bars.

• FACT: The legislation allows someone to enter a restaurant or other Class D establishment only if they are both:
  • a) not consuming any alcohol at all while in that establishment
  • b) not already under the influence of alcohol as defined by ORC 2923.15 (remains as written today)
• FACT: Existing Ohio law (ORC 2923.15) prohibits mere possession of a firearm by anyone under the influence. Senate Bill 239 does not change this at all. It remains a crime to be under the influence and possess.
• FACT: SB239 was written to allow a concealed handgun licensee to eat lunch or dinner at a restaurant that happens to have a liquor license, such as Chipolte, Ruby Tuesdays, or an Applebee’s.
• FACT: The armed patron of a restaurant may not consume alcohol at all or they’re in violation of SB239.
• FACT: SB239 would make eating dinner at a restaurant or other Class D establishment no different than walking down the liqour aisle of a grocery story while armed.
• FACT: People don’t go to bars to “not drink” intoxicating beverages, so they wouldn’t fall under SB239. However, a cash delivery vendor who may service that business could lawfully carry a firearm.
• MYTH: The police are opposed to allowing “guns in bars” and claim it’ll lead to bloodshed.
• FACT: A substantial number of FOP and other union lodges have Class D liqour permits & server liquor to cops.
• FACT: Police officers in Ohio lobbied for this exact exemption for them in HB347 in 2007.
• FACT: The Cleveland Patrolman’s Association’s “Zone Car Lounge”, limited to police officers, serves alcohol.
• FACT: Regardless of SB239’s fate the only people in Ohio who can lawfully be armed & drink in a bar are cops.

Need proof? — See our documents Hypocritical & Biased opposition to HB203/SB239 by Ohio Law Enforcement:

http://bit.ly/g2WEV5 as well as our “Can I conceal carry here lawfully?” SB239 flow-chart: http://bit.ly/g5pEvs

The facts are quite simple – this legislation allows Ohio’s concealed handgun licensees to eat at a restaurant that happens to serve alcohol or have a bar in a separate section of the restaurant, so long as they do not drink. The legislation does not prohibit a proprietor from posting a “No Guns” sign like any other private business.

The legislation does not, in any fashion, legalize or authorize the possession of a firearm by anyone consuming alcohol in any quantity, nor allow the same for anyone under the influence of alcohol as already prohibited by law.

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Campbell Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- I need your help on Monday, December 6th — but let me give you a little history on why I need your help.

Over the past two years Ohioans For Concealed Carry has invested a substantial amount of blood, sweat, tears and money out of our treasury to see Restaurant Carry come to life.

We worked with Representatives of the Ohio House to introduce the first bill to make it lawful to possess a firearm in an Ruby Tuesdays or a Max & Erma’s so long as you were not consuming alcohol.

Inevitably, Democrats in the Ohio House leadership stopped movement on Ohio House Bill 203 — and similar legislation was introduced in the Ohio Senate and passed.

We’ve covered the travels expenses of Ms. Nikki Goeser to come to the Ohio Legislature twice to testify before both the Ohio House, and the Ohio Senate when SB239 was introduced. Her testimony was referred to as “some of the most compelling ever heard” by then-chairwoman Bolon immediately following hearing her testimony.

You can find recordings of those hearings in the following video:

Sadly, when the recent November election turned the Ohio House over to Republican control and when the Governor was not elected politics seemed to come to a standstill in the Ohio Legislature.

I personally anticipated the Ohio House to hold hearings on SB239 and SB247 following the election, but it inevitably seemed as if there would be no further sessions scheduled.

That has changed – the Ohio House has scheduled sessions, but they HAVE NOT committed to do anything with these two vital bills that we have invested substantial time and money trying to enact them into law.

As I said earlier in this article I need your help on Monday, December 6th making phone calls, and I need you to forward the link to  this artcile to everyone you know who would consider doing the same.

First: Call every member of the Ohio House Democratic leadership and urge them to work with Speaker Budish to send these bills to Governor Strickland.

Their names and numbers are listed here for your convenience:

• Armond Budish, Speaker of the House – 614-644-5441
• Matt Szollosi, Speaker Pro Tempore – 614-466-1418
• Tracy Maxwell Heard, Majority Floor Leader – 614-466-8010
• Jay P. Goyal, Majority Whip – 614-466-5802
• Linda S. Bolon, Assistant Majority Whip – 614-466-8022

Remind Ms. Bolon of her statements during the HB203 hearings when she told Ms. Goeser that her testimony was some of the most compelling she ever heard.

When you reach their staff: Introduce yourself, tell them you’re a member and supporer of Ohioans For Concealed Carry, and state that you understand there is a limited opportunity for remaining sessions and that you want House Leadership to work with Speaker Budish to pass both SB239 and SB247.

• SB239 resolves Restaurant Carry and makes changed to transporting a firearm in a vehicle.
• SB247 is a “rights restoration” bill that provides a means for restoring an individual right to bear arms.

Once you’ve made these phone calls, you need to call your elected representative. How do you find them? Go here:

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/ — on the right hand side of the page you can enter your zip code in and identify your elected Representative, who is representing you at least through the end of this calendar year.

Call their office and tell them everything mentioned above — then, tell them that you want them to join Representative Bubp’s office in the effort to use a discharge petition to extract these bills from committee and send them directly to the House Floor, where they must be voted on by the entire Ohio House.

Finally, call Governor Ted Strickland’s office at (614) 466-3555 – and advise them that you want Governor Ted Strickland to do everything in his power to get the Ohio House to send these two bills to his desk.

These are our last two chances of getting these bills to the desk of Governor Ted Strickland, where it is believed he will sign them or let them become law without his signature.

On Monday morning we’ll send out a nearly identical alert of this nature to remind you to make these phone calls, but we wanted to give everyone the weekend to start forwarding these instructions to their friends and family members everywhere to increase the potential volume of phone calls.

Grassroots activism like this is what has made concealed carry reform in Ohio possible during lame duck sessions. We must remain vigilant that with enough pressure from the electorate these two bills may very well become law.

Thank you for your time in helping us reform Ohio gun laws!

Sincerely,

Jeff Garvas
Ohioans For Concealed Carry

p.s. – next week we’ll have big news related to firearms litigation…

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Firearms Restaurant Carry Can Pass Now With Your Help

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- We are now in a “Lame Duck” session — the time between the election and the day that newly elected people take their office.

This is the time that most “controversial” gun bills in Ohio are signed.

Why? Because many people who will vote for our bill are not coming back to office, so it won’t hurt them politically.

Because many people who will vote for our bill have been re-elected for a number of years, and its politically safe to vote for our issue NOW.

The window of opportunity to get Restaurant Carry sent to the Governor and signed into law before the new General Assembly and Governor take office is incredibly short.

This is why I am asking you to click on this link, read the information, and place calls to your elected members of the Ohio House and Governor Ted Strickland’s office today, tomorrow, and every day this week:

Please Make Two Phone Calls

Two bills currently before the Ohio House of Representatives promise to have a huge positive impact on CHL holders. But we must take action now. Please take just 5 minutes now to make 2 phone calls:

1. Contact Governor Strickland’s office by voice at (614) 466-3555, or by fax at (614) 466-9354.
2. Call your legislator in the Ohio House of Representatives. Find your representative’s name and contact info here. (See “Member Quick Search” on right side of page.)

Call to voice your support for both bills:

1. Senate Bill 239. Having already passed the Ohio Senate, this bill now is before the Ohio House of Representatives. It would allow concealed carry in restaurants that serve alcohol, and also includes important reforms to the way firearms may be transported in vehicles. Full info here.
2. House Bill 571. This legislation would allow a concealed handgun licensee to have a concealed handgun in their vehicle without fear of employer retribution. Full info here.

Please call now!

…once you’ve made your phone calls, forward the link to this article to everyone you know and ask them to do the same.

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Today the Governor signed most of the gun bills that were on his desk. He made suggested changes to the other bills and sent them back to the General Assembly for a vote. NOTE: the bills below will not become effective until JULY 1st.

So don’t carry concealed in a restaurant that serves alcohol, or if you don’t have a CHP, don’t have a handgun within reach, but locked in a compartment or container in your vehicle until then.

ALSO, VCDL will be celebrating the restaurant ban repeal on July 1, so mark your calendars. We will be having celebrations at specific restaurants across the Commonwealth. Details to come in a week or so.

Many thanks to Governor McDonnell for standing up for Virginia’s gun owners and helping to restore some more of our Second Amendment rights this year!

Key bills signed into law:

• SB334 and HB505, Senator Hanger’s and Delegate Gilbert’s restaurant ban repeals, respectively. YES!
• HB109, Delegate Cole’s bill that repeals the law that allows counties to register handguns and tax them.
• HB1191, Delegate Griffith’s bill that allows a Circuit Court Clerk to sign off on a CHP if there are no problems with the application.
• SB3 and HB8, Senator Smith’s and Delegate Carrico’s bills, respectively, to clarify that CHPs can be renewed through the mail.
• SB408, Senator Vogel’s bill to allow non-CHP holders to lock their loaded guns in a compartment or container in their vehicle.
• SB533, Senator McDougle’s bill to clarify that first time CHP applicants have a right to an ore tenus hearing if they are turned down for their permit.

The following bills have suggested amendments that the House and Senate can vote up or down. If voted up, they become law. If voted down, the Governor can sign the bill without his changes or he can veto the bill:

HB885, Delegate Athey’s bill to allow a non-CHP holder to have a loaded handgun in a locked container or compartment in a vehicle has a suggested amendment, which VCDL likes, that the container or compartment does NOT have to be locked. The problem is that this suggested amendment was not made to the matching Senate bill (Vogel’s SB408). Since SB408 is now law (but not yet effective) and requires the container or compartment be locked, I’m not sure how the situation would be resolved if both bills are signed into law. Whatever it means, we need to push for the Governor’s amendment to HB885.

HB1217, Delegate Lewis’ bill to allow elementary schools to teach firearm safety has a suggested amendment that would repeal a last minute change that allows the school to pick a somewhat anti-gun curriculum. VCDL supports the Governor’s amendment for that repeal.

ACTION ITEMS:
You need to send a message to your Senator and your Delegate, asking them to support Governor McDonnell’s changes to HB885 and HB1217.

To send a message on HB885 and HB1217 to your Senator, click here;

http://tinyurl.com/y2pxp9h

To send a message on HB885 and HB1217 to your Delegate, click here:

http://tinyurl.com/yye2w6n

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia Beach VA. – -(AmmoLand.com)- Unbelievably, Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks, Jr., speaking for the state association of the chiefs of police, has asked Governor McDonnell to veto SB 334, the restaurant ban repeal, because guns in bars would be a “recipe for disaster.”

Hmmm. The only people that the bill allows to mix guns and alcohol are police officers (on duty, off duty, and retired) and Commonwealth Attorneys and their deputies. So it sounds like Chief Jacocks is afraid of his own officers carrying guns and being able to drink responsibly. That’s a sad commentary on his department and the other departments that are backing this position. I wonder if these chiefs prohibit their officers from driving cars to restaurants, too?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a whole lot of chiefs of police are nothing more than political hacks that did not work their way up through the ranks and don’t share the beliefs of their rank and file officers on such matters.

Also, the Sheriff’s Association did NOT share the bogus concerns of the Chiefs.

I personally don’t donate to the Fraternal Order of Police for their past and current interference with our gun rights and I also have no intention of contributing to anything from the Association of Chiefs of Police, either, for the same reason. The Sheriffs Association doesn’t pull this kind of baloney.

The good news is that according to the article, the Governor is going to stand strong and sign the bill:

“McDonnell will sign the bill, said Taylor Thornley, the governor’s spokeswoman. While McDonnell appreciates the work and comments of the police chiefs, he will ‘continue to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,’ Thornley said.”

Here is the story:

State’s police chiefs seek veto of guns-in-bars bill

http://hamptonroads.com/node/546409

By Deirdre Fernandes The Virginian-Pilot © March 17, 2010 VIRGINIA BEACH

Calling guns in bars a “recipe for disaster,” the state’s police chiefs have pleaded with Gov. Bob McDonnell to veto legislation that would ease Virginia’s concealed weapon laws.

Virginia Beach police Chief Jake Jacocks Jr. sent a letter to McDonnell last week on behalf of the state association of chiefs comparing the combination of firearms and alcohol with drinking and driving.

“We can fully expect that at some point in the future a disagreement that today would likely end up in a verbal confrontation, or a bar fight, will inevitably end with gunfire if you sign this legislation into law,” Jacocks wrote.

SB334′s requirement that anybody with a gun is prohibited from drinking and could be charged with a misdemeanor is “absurd,” Jacocks said, and can’t be enforced. [PVC: In that case, perhaps we need to just get rid of the penalty altogether or make it a civil fine.]

On Tuesday, Jacocks got support from Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, a McDonnell supporter and gun owner.

“Not only is it stupid,” Sessoms said, “I think it could be a fatal mistake.”

But their efforts seem unlikely to sway McDonnell.

McDonnell will sign the bill, said Taylor Thornley, the governor’s spokeswoman. While McDonnell appreciates the work and comments of the police chiefs, he will “continue to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” Thornley said.

The bill deals only with concealed weapons; in Virginia it’s legal to carry a gun openly without a permit.

SB334 and its House counterpart, along with legislation that allows gun owners without concealed-carry permits to store firearms in locked vehicle compartments, were among the gun-friendly bills approved by the General Assembly this year. The Democratic-controlled Senate formed a special subcommittee late in the session to kill several gun-rights bills, including a repeal of the state’s one-handgun-purchase-a-month limit.

The police chiefs association has opposed the guns in bars bill in the past, but it also had a more sympathetic ear. Former Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine twice vetoed such bills.

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police didn’t come out strongly against the bills during the session because it was spread too thin trying to preserve state funding for police departments, said Dana Schrad, the organization’s executive director. [PVC: Life does have its priorities ]

“We didn’t duck and cover on this one,” Schrad said. “We had to prioritize on budget issues.”

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, the other large law-enforcement lobby in the General Assembly, did not take a stand on the legislation, said John Jones, the organization’s executive director.

“No, we’re not going down that road,” Jones said.

But association members recently did vote on a resolution supporting Second Amendment rights, Jones said.

Jacocks and Schrad did acknowledge that the letter was a last-ditch effort.

“It was important to let him know directly how we felt about this issue,” Jacocks said.

If police across Virginia see an increase in gun violence at bars, the association will come back and ask the General Assembly to reconsider its decision, Schrad said. [PVC: Or course any such violence would have to be unjustified and perpetrated by CHP holders, police, or Commonwealth Attorneys. Even then, that is why we have laws - to punish bad people, not to punish the good ones.]

Statistics on gun-related incidents at establishments with liquor licenses were not available Tuesday. [PVC: Again, unless they deal with CHP holders acting unlawfully, such statistics are irrelevant.]

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- I am still waiting on the vote results for HB 69, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act, later today in the House of Delegates.

I am confident it will pass but I wanted to get to you before I leave the office on business about some real good news.

SB 334, the Restaurant Ban Repeal Bill, passed the full Senate 22-18.

I am VERY cautiously optimistic that this will pass the House and the Governor McDonnell will sign it.

Even though McDonnell voted for the ban and against its repeal as a delegate, he changed his views when running for Governor.

For Liberty,
Mike McHugh
President, VGOC
www.vgoc.org to donate

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)-  The Senate engrossed Senator Hanger’s restaurant ban repeal (SB 334) in the same form it left the Senate Courts of Justice committee last week. That is good news as there was no mischief done to the bill.

So, TOMORROW, February 16th, the Senate will vote on whether to pass the bill. This is the next major hurdle.

If you have not contacted your Senator to urge him or her to support SB 334, NOW IS THE TIME!

Today’s UpDate
Today in the Senate Courts of Justice committee, the following bills were voted on:

SB 79, Senator Reynolds, repeals the power for local governments to fingerprint first time CHP applicants, was DEFEATED by a vote of 9 to 6.

The reason that I never donate to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is that they get involved too often in opposing the rights of citizens. In this case, for example, they opposed SB 79 using the excuse that the bill would endanger law enforcement officers and let criminals get CHPs.

Baloney.
Senator Reynolds, who did a very good job in fighting for the bill, asked the FOP representative if he could show if someone who had applied for a CHP had been denied based on their fingerprints and the FOP representative could not provide any.

A VCDL member drove up from Tidewater to testify for the bill, explaining that he had to wait FIVE hours to be fingerprinted!

SB 643, Senator Reynolds, gives the police the power to arbitrarily arrest a person for a Class 1 or 2 misdemeanor (same bill that Delegate Jackson Milller puts in every year. This one was requested by the Attorney General’s Office). A substitute bill was introduced which didn’t really solve any of the problems that VCDL has with SB 643. The FOP spoke in favor of this bill (surprise, surprise).

One bit of humor

The chairman, anti-self-defense Senator Marsh, was certain that I was in favor of the bill and tried to deny my right to speak on the bill as he had asked for only those opposed to speak.

Senator Reynolds, even though this was his bill and ever the gentlemen, spoke up to explain that I was there to speak AGAINST his bill. It took Marsh another 30 seconds for him to finally get it through his head that I was opposing the bill (as VCDL has for the last 4 years in the same committee).

The bill was DEFEATED by a 9 to 6 vote.

SB 501, Senator Lucas, provides that a DUI in another state counts as a DUI in Virginia for purpose of disqualifying a CHP applicant for 3 years PASSED out of committee. I told the committee that VCDL was concerned that the DUI standard must match Virginia’s to be acceptable and I was told that it would have to match. That being the case, VCDL’s position remains neutral on the bill.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Michigan Coalition For Responsible Gun Owners

Q: What am I supposed to do if I choose to eat in a restaurant that serves alcohol while I am carrying my concealed pistol?

A: Assuming that you have a valid CPL (Concealed Pistol License), and that the restaurant is not considered a tavern or bar (defined as an establishment that derives more than half of its income from the sale of alcohol by the glass), the other issue is the rights of private property owner or lessor. If the management of the restaurant has a no guns policy that is communicated to you in any reasonable manner, including signage, verbally etc. then you are trespassing if you carry your pistol on the premises. Private property owners have the right to set conditions on your entry onto their private property; and if you violate those conditions, you are trespassing.

If you choose to drink alcohol, and plan to stay below the .08 BAC level and drive yourself, or plan to ride with a sober driver, you must be sure to store your pistol so that you are not carrying it concealed. Essentially, you must put it in what is commonly referred to as “transport mode.”

MCL 28.425k(3) states: “This section does not prohibit an individual licensed under this act to carry a concealed pistol who has any bodily alcohol content from transporting that pistol in the locked trunk of his or her motor vehicle or another motor vehicle in which he or she is a passenger or, if the vehicle does not have a trunk, from transporting that pistol unloaded in a locked compartment or container that is separated from the ammunition for that pistol or on a vessel if the pistol is transported unloaded in a locked compartment or container that is separated from the ammunition for that pistol.”

Keep in mind that, according to the same statue, by accepting your CPL, you have consented to a search of your breath, blood, or urine in exactly the same way that you did when you accepted your Driver’s License: “(1) Acceptance of a license issued under this act to carry a concealed pistol constitutes implied consent to submit to a chemical analysis under this section.” This means that, as long as a law enforcement officer has probable cause, you must submit to such a test for alcohol, or controlled substances. If you refuse, your refusal will be reported to your county gun board and: “(ii) The refusal may result in his or her license to carry a concealed pistol being suspended or revoked.”

So, the mere fact that an establishment happens to serve alcohol does not mean that you cannot be armed there. However, you cannot carry your pistol in a bar. And, you cannot drink while carrying. The statute lays out a BAC level of .02, which is best treated as a zero-tolerance standard.

Steve Dulan (www.StevenWDulan.com) is a member of the Board of Directors of the MCRGO and the MCRGO Foundation, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the MCRGO Foundation. He is an attorney in private practice in East Lansing and Adjunct Professor of firearms law at The Thomas M. Cooley Law School. as well as an NRA Life Member.

About:
The Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Formed from just eight people in 1996, we now have thousands of members and numerous affiliated clubs across the state. We’re growing larger and more effective every day.

Our mission statement is: “Promoting safe use and ownership of firearms through education, litigation, and legislation” Visit: www.mcrgo.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia – -(AmmoLand.com)- Now begins the time where Virginia Gun Owners needs to get very active in letting the Legislature know what we want them to do.

You will be getting important messages like this one throughout the next few weeks as gun bills begin to move and we will need you to take action quickly.

Let’s FLOOD the General Assembly with email from gun owners!

There are 13,000 of you on the VCDL VA-ALERT and 1000′s more reading this post and we need all of you to make your voices heard. And don’t worry, we have made this simple to do.

We need you to start by contacting your Senator on two bills IMMEDIATELY: The Restaurant ban repeal bill and the so-called “Gun Show Loophole” Bill.

We also need you to contact your Delegate IMMEDIATELY on a bill that prohibits guns being banned from locked vehicles in parking lots while at work or otherwise on private property.

Just click on each of the three links below to send a PREWRITTEN (but editable) message to YOUR Senator or Delegate automatically. Fill in YOUR email address (we already know your Senator’s and Delegate’s email address) and your physical address and, voila, you are done!

• Click here to send a message SUPPORTING Senator Hanger’s restaurant ban repeal bill, SB 334: http://tiny.cc/restaurant-ban-repeal-bill
• Click here to send a message OPPOSING Senator Lucas’s “gun show and private sales registration” bill, SB 595: http://tiny.cc/GunShowBill
• Click here to send a message SUPPORTING Delegate Pogge’s bill, HB 171, that provides that a business cannot prohibit an employee or other person from having a gun in a locked vehicle while parked on the business’s property. In return the business gets certain legal protections: http://tiny.cc/gunsincars

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Ohio’s Premier Grassroots Organization Fighting to Protect, Reform and Expand Gun Rights for All Citizens since 1999

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(AmmoLand.com)- On Tuesday, January 19, Ohioans For Concealed Carry President Jeff Garvas, Vice President Bryan Torok, Executive Director Daniel White, and Legislative Coordinator Gary Witt testified before the Ohio Legislature’s Public Safety and Homeland Security committee. OFCC also brought in special guest Nicole Goeser to share her story with the committee (Further reading: Restaurant Carry hearing recap).

Garvas secured permission to record video of the testimony given, which is available on OFCC’s YouTube channel.

Click on the links below to read or watch the testimony given, listed in the order in which it was presented.

Jeff Garvas: Read testimony

Nicole Goeser: Read testimony |

Daniel White: Read testimony |

Bryan Torok: Read testimony |

Gary Witt: Read testimony |

ACTION ITEM

After you watch the compelling testimony of Nikki Goeser please contact your Representatives and Senators and ask them to watch the video and become co-sponsors of HB203.

Identify your Representative and Senator with the right side of this website using your zip code: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us
(Just enter your zip code and +4 if you know it)

Click on your Representative’s name first (if more than one show up, do this for each)
On their website is an email address. Send them an email with the subject “Please co-sponsor and pass HB203″

Send them the URL to the Nikki Goeser testimony and tell them that it took place at proponent testimony on January 19th. Describe it in your own words.
Ask them to co-sponsor HB203 and pass it out of the Ohio House ASAP

Click on your Senator’s website (if more than one show up, do this for each)
Send them the same Nikki Goeser testimony from above with your description of the testimony
Ask them to pass HB203 when it comes to the Ohio Senate

We need your help to get our elected officials to continue moving this legislation towards the Governor’s desk!

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(AmmoLand.com)- The first hearing for HB 203, the bill to allow concealed handgun licensees to carry a firearm into a restaurant that serves alcohol provided the licensee is not consuming alcohol, was held Thursday in the Public Safety and Homeland Security committee.

Ohioans For Concealed Carry Legislative Committee Coordinator Gary Witt, along with a half dozen OFCC members, was in attendance and heard the sponsor testimony by Representatives Bubp and Martin. Rep. Martin noted that 42 other states have some provision for carrying a firearm in an establishment that serves alcohol and Rep. Bubp noted that forcing a CHL holder to leave their firearm in their vehicle leaves it vulnerable to theft.

The next hearing will be proponent testimony and when it is scheduled we will post the date so those interested in supporting the bill can have their voice heard. It will likely be in December. If you’re planning on attending and don’t yet have an OFCC shirt, order yours today!

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org