Category: Informational

WA-GOAL Legislative Update 17 JAN 2020

From Washington Gun Owners Action League (WA-GOAL):

GOAL Post 2020-2

Legislative Update from Olympia 17 January 2020

RALLY

CUT-OFF DATES ADOPTED

NEW GUN BILLS FILED

FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED

Suppose they held a gun rights rally and everyone came? Well, almost
everyone. According to the Seattle Times, about 500 gun owners showed up,
much better than in previous years. But Dave Workman tells me the WSP –
who has far more experience estimating crowd size than the Times – told
him the number was closer to 1,000. Great going guys. Keep it up!

The following cut-off dates have been adopted for bills under
consideration in the 2020 regular legislative session. As a general rule,
if a bill fails to pass a hurdle, it is considered dead for the
session. Exceptions can be made.

13 January Session begins

7 February Bills must pass out of policy committee (except fiscal bills)

11 February Bills must pass out of chamber fiscal committee (only bills
with major fiscal impact)

19 February Bills must pass out of house of origin (House bills out of
House, Senate bills out of Senate)

28 February Bills must pass out of policy committee in second chamber

2 March Bills with major fiscal impact must pass out of second chamber
fiscal committee

6 March Bills must pass out of second chamber (House bills out of Senate,
Senate bills out of the House), except for bills in a conference committee to iron out
differences in

House/Senate versions, budget bills and initiatives.

12 March Sine die – close of regular legislative session.

The first critical cut-off date, when bills must pass out of their first
policy committee (L&J or CR&J for gun bills), isn’t for three weeks..

Another handful of gun bills were introduced this week, and a few more
resurrected from last year’s stack. In a departure from the past, I’m
tracking both Washington and Florida legislative sessions (I’m VP of the
Florida Sport Shooting Assn), so I’m just going to focus on bills that
are actually being called into play.

HB 1365 (from last year) (Lovick D-44) mandates State Patrol approved
training, to include range time, before a CPL may be issued or reissued
(House CR&J, 21 Jan).

HB 1374 (from last year) (Macri D-43) repeals state
preemption (control) of firearms laws, opening the door to cities and
counties to pass their own gun laws (House CR&J, 21 Jan).

HB 2240 (Valdez D-46) bans sale and/or possession of magazines holding more than 10
rounds; existing possession is grandfathered, with restriction on
where/when they may be used (House CR&J, 21 Jan).

HB 2241 (Peterson D-21) bans sale or possession of semi-automatic “assault weapons” and large capacity magazines; existing possession is grandfathered, with
restrictions (House CR&J, 21 Jan).

HB 2519 (Walen D-48) requires a NICS (when available) background check on the retail sale of ammunition, with a report sent to the state; limited exceptions (House CR&J, 21 Jan).HB 2555 (Goodman D-45) closes the loophole for items federally-defined on a
4473 as “other” (receivers, certain shotguns or handguns) (House CR&J, 22 Jan).

SB 6077 (Kuderer D-48) same-old, same-old magazine ban over ten round
capacity, grandfathered (Senate L&J, 20 Jan).

SB 6163 (Dhingra D-45) bans possession of firearms BEFORE conviction for certain persons awaiting trial for felony DUI (Senate L&J, 21 Jan).SB 6288 (Dhingra D-45) creates
an Office of Firearm Violence Prevention under the Department of COMMERCE to recommend measures to prevent violence (Senate L&J, 21 Jan).

SB 6294 (Saloman D-32)more State Patrol-approved mandatory training
for a CPL (Senate L&J, 20 Jan).

SB 6347 (Wagoner R-39) extends the validity of a CPL acquired after mandatory training to SEVEN years – kind of a sugar coating on a bitter pill (Senate L&J, 20 Jan).SB 6402
(Rivers R-18) is a sentencing enhancement for use of a stolen firearm during the commission of a felony (Senate L&J, 20 Jan).

SB 6406 (Wilson R-17) makes any theft of a firearm from a residence or retail outlet a
felony (Senate L&J 20 Jan).

BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:

HB 1365 CPL training requirement Tharinger (D-24) H. CR&J OPPOSE

HB 1374 Repeals state preemption of gun laws Macri (D-43) H. CR&J OPPOSE

HB 1068 Magazine restrictions Valdez (D-43) H. CR&J OPPOSE

HB 1671 Confiscation of firearms Dolan (D-22) H. CR&J NEUTRAL

HB 2196 Raise standard for issue of a “red flag” order Walsh (R-19) HG.
CR&J SUPPORT

HB 2202 Exempts law enforcement from a/w training Klippert (R-8) H.PubSaf OPPOSE

HB 2240 Bans high capacity magazines Valdez (D-43) H. CR&J OPPOSE

HB 2241 Bans assault weapons and magazines Peterson (D-21) H. CR&J OPPOSE

HB 2519 Ammunition background checks Walen (D-48) H. CR&J OPPOSE

HB 2555 Background checks for “other” firearms Goodman (D-45) H. CR&J OPPOSE

SB 5434 Expands gun free zones to parks and day cares Wilson, C (D-30) S.
L&J OPPOSE

SB 6076 Bans assault weapons and hi cap magazines Kuderer (D-48) S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 6077 Bans high capacity magazines Kuderer (D-48) S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 6161 Excise tax on ammunition Dhingra (D-45) S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 6163 Unlawful possession BEFORE conviction Dhingra (D-45) S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 6288 Office of firearm violence prevention Dhingra (D-45) S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 6294 CPL training requirement Saloman (D-32) S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 6347 CPL validity seven years with training Wagoner (R-39) S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 6402 Use of a stolen firearm Rivers (R-18) S. L&J SUPPORT

SB 6406 Concerning firearms Wilson, L (R-17) S. L&J SUPPORT

HB = House bill, SB = Senate bill. L&J = Law & Justice, CR&J = Civil
Rights & Judiciary, PubSaf = Public Safety, HC = Health Care, H. K-12 =
House Early education, Aprop = Appropriations, Fin = Finance, W&M = Ways
& Means “S” before a bill number indicates Substitute (amended).

PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED:

20 Jan Senate Law & Justice, Senate Hearing Room 4, JAC building

10:00am SBs 6077, 6274, 6347, 6402 and 6406

21 Jan Senate Law & Justice, Senate Hearing Room 4, JAC building

10:00am SBs 6163 and 6288

21 Jan House Civil Rights & Judiciary, House Hearing Room “A,” JLO building

10:00am HBs 2240, 2241, 2519, 1374 and 1315

22Jan House Civil Rights & Judiciary, House Hearing Room “A,” JLO building

8:00am HB 2555

LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by
calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000.Toll free!!!The
hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993.Also toll free!!!

1-800-562-6000TDD 1-800-635-9993

OTHER DATA:Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules
and other information are available on the legislature’s web site at
“www.leg.wa.gov“. Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format.You may
download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe’s web site
(http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives,
etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by
calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by
calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear
floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need
“RealAudio” to do this, available free at the TVW web site).

By reading the House and Senate “bill reports” (hbr, sbr) for each bill,
you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the “roll
call” for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on
any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is
available, on line, to any citizen.

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

Puyallup 01-02 February

Monroe 28-29 March

“The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself,
or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall
be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize,
maintain or employ an armed body of men.”

Article 1, Section 24

Constitution of the State of Washington

WA-GOAL Legislative Update from Olympia 10 January 2020

Somehow I missed this post a week ago. here is the Washington Gun Owner Action League’s (WA-GOAL) first update of 2020.

GOAL Post                                                                                             2020-1

Legislative Update from Olympia                                            10 January 2020

RALLY IN OLY FRIDAY 17 JANUARY

LEGISLATURE CONVENES MONDAY, 13 JANUARY (60 DAY SESSION)

DEMOCRATS IN COMPLETE CONTROL

NEW FACES

BILLS HELD OVER FROM 2019

NEW GUN BILLS PRE-FILED

LEGISLATIVE TUTORIAL

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR

NO GUN BILL HEARINGS NEXT WEEK

LEGISALATOR CONTACT INFORMATION

HOW TO TESTIFY AT A PUBLIC HEARING

PUBLIC HEARING VERSUS EXECUTIVE SESSION

PUBLIC HEARING ON HB 1671 FRIDAY 17 JAN

(This will be a long GOAL Post as I have to describe the environment and the processes involved for new readers.  Future issues will be shorter.  Also keep in mind that GOAL Post focuses on gun law only, we do not cover hunting issues.  The Hunters Heritage Council does that well.  I normally post GP on Friday evenings to summarize that week’s activities and provide a forecast for the next.)

First business first:  a gun rights rally will be held on the Capitol Campus next Friday, January 17th,.  It will begin at 9 a.m. and continue likely for an hour or more, with both outside and legislative speakers.  (Yes, it’s a Friday, and unlike the people bussed in to attend many liberal rallies, gunnies have to work.  Are your gun rights worth a day off?)  After the formal presentation, attendees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the campus layout (the Capitol, or “legislative” building where floor sessions are conducted, as well as the John L. O’Brien House Office Building, the John A. Cherberg Senate Office Building, and the Irv Newhouse Senate Office Building.  This is a great opportunity to locate your two representatives’ and one senator’s office and introduce yourself to their legislative aides.  Hopefully over the coming two months they’ll become familiar with your name and maybe even your face!  WE MUST FLEX OUR MUSCLES IN OLY EARLY ON.

A public hearing will be held on HB 1671 (confiscation of forfeited firearms) in House Civil Rights & Judiciary at 1000, Friday, right after the rally.  The hearing will be held in House Hearing Room “A” in the John L. O’Brien House Office Building.  The bill makes technical corrections to existing law.

The legislature convenes on Monday, January 13th, for its “short” (60 day) session.  This is a continuation of the 66th biennium, which started in January 2019.  If their work is not completed, they can be called back by the governor for a 30-day special session.

Democrats now hold clear majorities in both the Senate and House. Democrats  chair all of the committees in both House and Senate, and have at least a one (Senate Law & Justice) to three seat (House Civil Rights & Judiciary) majority in each committee.  And while a small handful of individual Democrat legislators are pro-gun, party policy is definitely anti-gun, anti-rights.

Speaker Frank Chopp (D-43) announced his resignation from the speakership last summer, after nearly 20 years as Speaker of the House.  He is keeping his House seat, however.  The new Speaker is former Civil Rights & Judiciary committee chair Laurie Jinkins. She will assume the speakership on the 13th.  The new Civil Rights & Judiciary committee chair is Christine Kilduff (D-28).  Neither Speaker Jinkins nor Chair Kilduff are friends of gun owners.

Because this is simply “part 2” of a two-year legislative period, all bills filed and not passed in last years’ session are up for play this year, as well as new bills filed.  Most old bills will not likely be touched (especially the pro-gun bills), but any or all COULD be brought into play.  A complete list of gun bills run last year may be found at https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsbytopic/Results.aspx?year=2019&subject=FIREARMS  I am not going to put them on the Bill List below unless they receive action this time around.

In addition, since early December several new gun-related bills have been filed for action this session.  In the House, SB 2196 (Walsh R-19) would make it more difficult to have a “red flag” protection order (gun confiscation order) issued; HB2202 (Klippert R-8) exempts law enforcement officers from training requirements for modern sporting rifle (semi-automatic assault rifles) training; HB2240 (Valdez D-46) bans magazines with a capacity over ten rounds, with exceptions; HB 2241 (Peterson (D-21) bans sale, possession of assault weapons and large capacity magazines, with exceptions.  In the Senate, SB 6076 (Kuderer, D-48) bans assault weapons and large capacity magazines) and SB 6078 (Kuderer D-48) bans large capacity magazines, with exceptions, SB 6161 (Dhingra D-45) excise tax on ammunition.

It is a common practice to file duplicate versions of a bill (“companion” bills) in the House and Senate.  Each will carry it’s own House (HB) or Senate (SB) bill number.  At least one version of the bill must pass both chambers before going to the governor.

New bills and active holdover bills from 2019 are included below in the “BILL STATUS” section.  It also contains the bill’s prime sponsor, the current status of the bill (committee location) and the GOAL position on the bill.  Committee abbreviations are provided at the bottom of that section.  As this is written, there are seven new bills awaiting action, plus any recalled from last year.  All active bills will be listed in the Bill List.

For those new to legislative affairs, here’s how the process works:  When a bill is filed in the House or Senate (or both, simultaneously, called “companion bills”) it is assigned to a policy committee.  Most gun-related bills go to the Senate Law & Justice Committee in the Senate.  In the House it’s a little more complicated, as it may be sent to House Civil Rights &Judiciary or House Public Safety (most will go to Civil Rights & Judiciary).  Public hearings may be held, after which the bill may (or may not) be voted out of committee.  If the bill has a fiscal impact (usually an expenditure of more than $50,000), it must then go to Senate Ways & Means or one of a couple of House fiscal committees.  The bill then goes to the Senate or House Rules Committee, where it must be voted on to pass out to the floor for a full vote.

After a bill passes the Senate or House floor vote, it then goes over to the opposite chamber (House or Senate), where the whole process starts ove r again.  If the bill passes the second chamber in the same form it passed the first, it goes to the governor for signature (or veto or partial veto).  If changes are made in the second chamber, it goes back to the first for concurrence.  It may also go to a conference committee from both chambers to resolve differences.  The final version must pass both chambers.

The bill then goes to the Governor, who may sign it into law, veto (kill) the bill, or sign a partial veto (killing just selected section(s) of the bill).  The governor may also allow a bill to become law without his signature.  Most signed bills take effect on 1 July, although bills with an “emergency clause” (considered immediately necessary for public safety) take effect upon signature by the governor.

One of the first items of business in each session is the adoption of the session calendar, identifying dates by which bills must clear various hurdles.  Essentially, it tells you how fast the train will move – and in a short session year, that’s pretty fast.  A bill that fails to clear the policy committee or chamber floor by the designated date is generally considered dead for the year, although they may be “resurrected” by parliamentary procedure.  I’ll post the cut-off dates for the 2020 session in the next issue of GOAL Post.

The following links can be used to contact legislators:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Senators/

http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Representatives/

Legislative e-mail addresses are available at http://app.leg.wa.gov/MemberEmail/Default.aspx

The link contains a quick tutorial on providing testimony at public hearings on bills under consideration.  I would urge you to read it and consider visiting Olympia to let YOUR voice be heard.  http://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx

A few points on public testimony: keep your comments brief, typically three minutes or less; limit it to two or three main points; do not attack or insult opponent testimony or question others’ motives; it helps to have a written copy of your testimony prepared and drop off with committee staff in the event you are not called on to testify (committee chair has complete control over who is called to testify and time is limited – they are typically very even-handed).  As with letters or e-mail to your legislators, always be polite and courteous.

Public hearings are committee meetings open to the public, where the public is allowed to testify on bills, to give their views on the bill.  But all votes on bills taken by a committee are conducted in what are called “executive sessions.”  They are typically part of a public session, with a few minutes set aside to vote on bills previously heard by the committee.  Public testimony is just that, open to the public for comment.  On the other have, no public input is allowed during executive session.  You are welcome to sit there, and to count votes, but silence from the public is the rule.  Just FYI for those of you who have not attended legislative public meetings before.

At this time, no gun bills are scheduled to be heard the first week of the session.

Legislative committee schedules are posted on the legislative web site on Wednesday evenings for the coming week.. Beware, sometimes unscheduled bills pop up the night before.  Semper vigilans!

Whatever I didn’t cover here can be found at leg.wa.gov   The legislative web site is extremely helpful and easy to use (even for this 73 year old Marine!).

A public hearing will be conducted on Friday, 17 Jan at 10:00 a.m. in House Civil Rights & Judiciary on HB 1671 (confiscation of forfeited firearms).  The bill makes technical changes only.,

(FYI: I am not able to respond to individual messages.)

BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:

(Bill committee assignments will be made on session day 1.)

HB 1671   Confiscation of firearms                                 Dolan (D-22)       NEUTRAL  H. CR&J
HB 2196   Raise standard for issue of a “red flag” order   Walsh (R-19)       SUPPORT
HB 2202   Exempts law enforcement from a/w training     Klippert (R-8)      OPPOSE  H.PubSaf
HB 2240   Bans high capacity magazines                        Valdez (D-43)      OPPOSE
HB 2241   Bans assault weapons and magazines             Peterson (D-21)    OPPOSE

SB 6075   Bans assault weapons and hi cap magazines    Kuderer (D-48)     OPPOSE
SB 6076   Bans high capacity magazines                         Kuderer (D-48)     OPPOSE
SB 6161   Excise tax on ammunition                               Dhingra (D-45)     OPPOSE

HB = House bill, SB = Senate bill.  L&J = Law & Justice, CR&J = Civil Rights & Judiciary, PubSaf = Public Safety, HC = Health Care, H. K-12 = House Early education, Aprop = Appropriations, Fin = Finance, W&M = Ways & Means  “S” before a bill number indicates Substitute (amended).

PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED:

17 Jan              House Civil Rights & Judiciary, House Hearing Rm “A”
10:00 a.m.       HB 1671

LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE:  You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000.  Toll free!!!  The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993.  Also toll free!!!

1-800-562-6000   TDD 1-800-635-9993

OTHER DATA:  Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature’s web site at “www.leg.wa.gov”.  Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format.  You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe’s web site (http://www.adobe.com).  You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573.  Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000.  You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need “RealAudio” to do this, available free at the TVW web site).

By reading the House and Senate “bill reports” (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted.  By reading the “roll call” for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill.  The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen…

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

Puyallup              01-02 February
Monroe               28-29 March

“The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.”

Article 1, Section 24

Constitution of the State of Washington

NRA-ILA: WA Gun-Free Zone Expansion Bill on Senate Floor

From the NRA-ILA:
On January 13th, the Washington Senate pulled Senate Bill 5434 from the Senate Rules Committee back to the floor, where it can receive a vote at any time. SB 5434 was retained as a carry-over bill from 2019 that would expand “gun-free zones.”

Please click the “Take Action” button below to contact your state Senator and ask them to OPPOSE SB 5434.

Senate Bill 5434, sponsored by Senator Claire Wilson (D-30), would increase prohibited areas where law-abiding citizens cannot possess firearms, including CPL holders carrying for self-defense. The bill extended “gun-free zones” to public parks, libraries, and child care centers before being amended to only apply to child care centers. Anti-gun Senators can easily amend the bill to add more areas when it comes up for vote. Your voice is needed in this critical fight for our freedom and safety.

In addition to leaving law-abiding citizens defenseless against criminals who ignore arbitrary boundaries, child care centers would be required to publicly indicate they are “gun-free zones” by posting signs outside the facilities.

Again, please click the “Take Action” button above to contact your state Senator and urge them to OPPOSE SB 5434.

It’s also expect that the Senate Law and Justice Committee will be hearing on SB 6077 and an as yet unnumbered bill that would increase red tape and training requirements for concealed pistol licenses.

Senate Bill 6077 seeks to ban the manufacture, possession, sale, transfer, etc. of standard capacity magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition.  This measure is strongly supported by the Governor and the Attorney General, and would severely limit your ability to defend yourself in a self-defense situation.

CPL Red Tape Bill, while this bill has not yet been filed and given a number, it is expected to increase government red tape and training requirements in order to obtain a Concealed Pistol License. This will be a different bill than the carryover bill heard in 2019.

Redoubt News: County GOPs Uniting Against Rogue Repubs in Olympia

From Redoubt News,

J.T. Wilcox, the leader of the Washington State Republicans has admitted to working with the Democrats in their efforts to oust Representative Matt Shea.

Shea, one of the most effective leaders of the Washington State Republicans battle for Freedom and Liberty, has been under attack from Marxist leaders within his state. These attacks are coming from both the opposing Democrat party and House Republicans, led by Wilcox.

Holding onto the Rampart report for several weeks, Wilcox refused to allow the elected representative access to the information. Wilcox, however, planned ahead and was ready when the report finally became available to the public.

Within minutes of it’s release, Wilcox made an official statement which included, “House Republican Leadership has suspended Representative Matt Shea from the caucus and removed him from his ranking position on the House Environment and Energy Committee. He will also be removed from his House committees.”

Wilcox has repeated his assertion that a large part of his reasoning included Rep. Shea’s not giving a statement to the Rampart Group during their investigation.

“Representative Shea was given an opportunity to communicate with investigators and chose not to.”

I really wish someone would sit down with the House minority leader and explain how the law works. The accused is not required to make a statement. The burden of proof is on the prosecution, in this case the House of Representatives, including J.T. Wilcox. Accusations are not proof of guilt. The whole thing is based on innuendo and rumors. It does not even rise to the level of circumstantial evidence…

Multiple groups throughout the State of Washington are passing resolutions in support of Rep. Matt Shea. They are united in their belief that Rep. Shea has not been afforded Due Process, and that this is a cornerstone of our Judicial system…

Therefore, be it Resolved by the Kitsap County Republican Party:

1) that all citizens, including Representative Matthew Shea, are to be afforded full rights of due process in any venue, legal or otherwise,

2) that the presumption of innocence must be given AND vigorously defended at all times,

3) that House Republican Leadership has denied Rep. Shea the right of due process and the right of open justice without unnecessary delay,

4) that the KCRP admonishes the actions of House Republican Leadership toward Rep. Shea and demand that he be restored in full to all privileges and rights enjoyed prior to the public release of the investigation report, and

5) that the KCRP calls upon all levels of Republican Leadership and the Washington State Republican Party to stand up for the rule of law and protection of individual rights, and to adopt similar resolutions in this matter.

Several more resolutions have been passed throughout the State:

Grant County Republican Party said they will pull all support from any legislator that supports removing Shea from his office.

Pierce County Republicans are questioning the integrity of J.T. WIlcox, and has said that he has denied Rep. Shea Due Process. They are ready to pull support from any legislator that hampers Shea prior to that being given.

Whatcom County Republicans admonished the actions of the House Leader and are demanding that all of Rep. Shea’s rights be restored to him.

Skamania County voiced there displeasure by demanding the rights of Rep. Shea be reinstated. They are also willing to remove their endorsement of anyone voting to expel Shea.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Washington State points out that Kathy Leodler, head of the Rampart Group, is a contributor to supporter of far-left democrats and Marxists, and are demanding that Matt Shea be restored his rights…

Rainier Redoubt: Zello Emergency Communications

Rainier Redoubt has posted a brief article on using the Zello app for emergency communications. Zello is available for iPhone, Android, and for Windows PCs. The Zello app does require an internet connection, so why might you use it? In a disaster that doesn’t destroy cell towers or backbone fiber links, you may still find that you can’t make outgoing phone calls because all of the circuits are busy. You may be able to text or email, but using Zello may be your easiest voice option to contact someone outside of your area. It may also be available if authorities have blocked phone calls. If yu have radio mesh applications for emergencies in your area, you may still be able to get internet service even if the cell towers are down, but you’ll need to know about its availability.

Zello is an application startup located in Austin, Texas. The application emulates push-to-talk (PTT) walkie-talkies over cellular and WiFi networks. The app is available for Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Windows PC, rugged mobile devices and two-way radios. Zello is free for personal use, while the Zello@Work application is free for up to five users. For more than five users Zello@Work costs $6.00 per user / per month. Perks that Zello@Work offers include private networks, dedicated servers, management interfaces for users and channels, higher security, cloud history and tech support.

Zello turns your phone into a walkie talkie and works anywhere in the world as long as you are connected to the Internet! Please note however that the Zello app cannot function without an Internet connection. According to the Zello Support page: “Zello cannot work without internet access, but if both you and your contact are within one network, the voice will be transferred using the shortest way – WiFi network in your case. Internet will be used only to log into Zello network and do some service data exchange, it will be less than 1 kiB per second.”

Once connected, users can join channels and instantly send voice messages or photos, and the app even works over older 2G networks.

…Zello made the news in June 2013 when Turkish protesters used it to circumvent government censors. As a result, Zello was the top most downloaded application in Turkey during the first week of June 2013. In February 2014, it was blocked by CANTV in Venezuela. Zello issued workarounds and patches to overcome the blocks to support approximately 600,000 Venezuelans who have downloaded the application to communicate with each other amidst protests. It “has been one of the most downloaded applications in Ukraine and Venezuela.” In April 2017, the Roskomnadzor instructed Russian Internet Service Providers to block mobile access to Zello. Under Russia’s data privacy law passed in 2016, all companies processing the personal data of Russian citizens are obliged to store it on servers within the country’s borders for a half of the year and provide it to law enforcement if necessary. Zello had more than 400,000 users in Russia. In August 2017 during relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Zello became a popular method for communications between volunteer rescuers and people stranded by the widespread flooding. The app received over 6 million signups in one week as Florida residents prepared for Hurricane Irma. In 2018 Zello had over 120,000,000 subscribers world-wide…

Off Grid Ham: You’re a Ham Radio Beginner. Now What?

Chris at Off Grid Ham has a nice article posted about all of the different things you can do as an amateur radio operator, geared toward those who are new to the hobby. We’ll be holding a two-Saturday technician license class in the next couple of months (probably toward the end of February) if you are interested in studying for your license. While our local club is focused on emergency/disaster communication, we do experiment with what modes are best for that purpose. We have running packet and AREDN (Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network) networks. We work on off grid power for some of our stations. Several members are running HF digital stations and many do HF voice for regional communications. So even a specialty like “disaster communications” can include a lot of areas of fun.

HAM RADIO BEGINNER

Courtesy of FOX Broadcasting

This article is primarily for those who recently got their radio license, but I hope the old timers will hang around. The goal is to provide direction to the ham radio beginner and give more experienced operators some insight they can use to help others ease into the hobby.

You’ve taken the first step into a “club” with a rich history of technical innovation, community service, and personal growth. You’re going to meet some great people, and to be completely honest, some not so great people too. Like any avocation, what you get out of ham radio depends on your motivation and attitude. If your head and your heart are in the right place, the rest will work itself out.

The breadth and depth of amateur radio can be intimidating.

Ham radio has a low barrier to entry but the learning curve is quite steep once you’re in the door. Don’t be put off by that. As a ham radio beginner, it’s important to understand that no matter how long you do this, you’ll never truly know everything.

Amateur radio is a very wide and deep field with many subspecialties. Among them are DXing, contesting, disaster/emergency services, fox hunting, data modes, moon bounce, SKYWARN, satellites, antenna design, QRP operating, and of course my personal favorite, off grid power. There are many more. The diversity is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because there truly is something for everyone. It’s a curse because there are so many choices a ham radio beginner may feel a little overwhelmed.

Your first action should be to define what direction you want to go. For some people, this is the easy part. They may have wanted their license for a specific purpose, such as to work with an emergency response group. If you knew what you wanted to do with ham radio before you even got your ticket, then you can skip this step.

For everyone else, some decisions will need to be made. Be open to all the options, even ones that don’t seem to grab your interest…

If you have not figured it out yet, your license is a departure, not a destination. To get anything at all out the hobby, you’ll have to invest some effort into learning much more than what you had to know to pass a test. The best way to do this is to partner up with a more experienced operator who shares your interests, or join a club.

Both of these options can be problematic for the ham radio beginner. It might be hard to find someone who has the time and desire to give one-on-one help. Clubs are a hit-and-miss affair. Some are very well run and go far out of their way to help newcomers. Others are very clique-ish and don’t want their group invaded.

Many clubs themselves specialize. Some do community service projects or emergency/disaster comms. Others focus on contests. One club in my area spends almost all their time planning and running a swap meet. Another is just a bunch of guys who hang out on a repeater and exists as club in name only. If your local club is not into what you are looking to do as a ham, then there’s going to be a disconnect. This of course doesn’t mean you can’t join or won’t fit in, it just means you may not get what you were hoping for…

Click here to read the entire article at Off Grid Ham.

NBC: Yakima Sheriff’s Office Receives MRAP Armored Vehicle

Yakima County’s new MRAP (right) and Bison APC (left). Photo from Yakima Herald-Republic

According to NBC KNDO, the Yakima Sheriff’s Office has received a free armored vehicle through the military surplus program which they will use in case of dangerous situations. Video through link.

The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office has a new armored vehicle.

In the case of a dangerous situation they can now use the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle known as “MRAP”.

“We feel pretty safe… Especially since some of these are raided for mines, obviously were not going to run into that situation but we have ran into people with hunting riffles and things like that and these will protect our deputies and officers,” said Lieutenant Aaron Wuitschick.

The MRAP is the second military vehicle YSO has received for free from a military surplus program.

Lt. Wuitschick says the older model called “The Bison” helps in search and rescue situations.

“It can be used for rescuing people and there’s a lot more room in this one. A medic can work on people back there as well as, then you can transport them,” said Wuitschick.

The new MRAP and has features like automatic de-pressurized tires, inside and outside fire extinguishers, and protective fiberglass.

Wuitschick said “the benefits of getting this compared to a civilian type piece of armor it would’ve cost us almost a half million dollars for a civilian piece of armor. We got this for free minus the shipping.”

The Yakima Herald also has an article on the MRAP.

Backdoor Survival: What the Iran Conflict Means for Preparedness

Iran protesters burn a U.S. flag.

What The Iran Conflict Means For Preparedness is written by Samantha Biggers over at Backdoor Survival. While the article was written before the results of the missile attacks on US bases in Iraq was widely known, that isn’t really relevant for the article. Some people breathed a sigh of relief when Iran essentially said “We’re done. Take that USA.” But we don’t really know that Iran’s response is over, and it probably isn’t. The explosion/crash of Boeing 737 in Iran shortly after Iran’s statement is suspicious and could be an attempt by Iran to make a larger impact on the US economy as well as well-known US corporation. There were secondary missile attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad by Iran-backed Iraqi militias last night. Cyber threats from Iran continue. So the conflict is not over, and could heat up even more over uranium enrichment.

The conflict with Iran has many people very fearful. To be honest the whole thing has made me do a lot of thinking. I don’t want to go over the politics of the situation with you because guess what: there are a lot of things that all people have in common if they want to stay safe and protect their families from hardship on all levels.

A lot of the things I am going to talk about are things that you may already have covered and honestly should be prepared for anyway. One of the beautiful things about well planned prepping is that you can use a lot of the things that you put back even if you are lucky enough to never experience any major event. As the old saying goes, better safer than sorry…

Click here to read the entire article at Backdoor Survival.

FFF: Nullify Government Tyranny

Constitutional attorney and author John Whitehead has written an article on the need to practice the historic doctrine of nullification against government tyranny. The nullification doctrine says that states, local governments, and individuals have an inherent right to void laws they deem unconstitutional. Many readers may have heard of the specific case of jury nullification but may not remember from their history the nullification crisis of the early 1800s. In recent years, nullification has been surfacing again in the cases of immigration sanctuaries and second amendment sanctuaries.

…Everything the founders of this country feared has come to dominate in modern America. “We the people” have been saddled with a government that is no longer friendly to freedom and is working overtime to trample the Constitution underfoot and render the citizenry powerless in the face of the government’s power grabs, corruption and abusive tactics.

So how do you balance the scales of justice at a time when Americans are being tasered, tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, hit with batons, shot with rubber bullets and real bullets, blasted with sound cannons, detained in cages and kennels, sicced by police dogs, arrested and jailed for challenging the government’s excesses, abuses and power-grabs?

No matter who sits in the White House, politics won’t fix a system that is broken beyond repair.

For that matter, protests and populist movements also haven’t done much to push back against an authoritarian regime that is deaf to our cries, dumb to our troubles, blind to our needs, and accountable to no one.

So how do you not only push back against the police state’s bureaucracy, corruption and cruelty but also launch a counterrevolution aimed at reclaiming control over the government using nonviolent means?

You start by changing the rules and engaging in some (nonviolent) guerilla tactics.

Take part in grassroots activism, which takes a trickle-up approach to governmental reform by implementing change at the local level (in other words, think nationally, but act locally).

And then, nullify everything the government does that flies in the face of the principles on which this nation was founded.

If there is any means left to us for thwarting the government in its relentless march towards outright dictatorship, it may rest with the power of juries and local governments to invalidate governmental laws, tactics and policies that are illegitimate, egregious or blatantly unconstitutional.

In an age in which government officials accused of wrongdoing—police officers, elected officials, etc.—are treated with general leniency, while the average citizen is prosecuted to the full extent of the law, nullification is a powerful reminder that, as the Constitution tells us, “we the people” are the government.

For too long we’ve allowed our so-called “representatives” to call the shots. Now it’s time to restore the citizenry to their rightful place in the republic: as the masters, not the servants.

Nullification is one way of doing so…

Click here to read the entire article at the Future of Freedom Foundation.

Doom and Bloom: A New Pneumonia

The Altons at Doom and Bloom Medical report that a previously unknown viral pneumonia has broken out in China, hospitalizing dozens there. They discuss what pneumonia is, treatment and prevention.

Health authorities in China are reporting 60 cases or more of a previously unknown viral pneumonia that has put dozens in the hospital. Officials note that victims exhibit fever up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, difficulty breathing, and abnormal findings on chest X-rays.

Nothing gets my attention like a mysterious, probably viral, pneumonia showing up in some foreign land. In the last decade or so, killers like Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have entered the scene. The current infection doesn’t seem to be either of these, and lab studies have already eliminated influenza, avian flu, most bacteria, and other possible culprits. A number of victims were found to have attended a seafood market in the area.

The word “pneumonia” is defined as a lung inflammation usually caused by bacterial or viral infection. Occasionally, fungi or parasites may give rise to it. It’s a very general term and doesn’t identify the specific microbe that’s causing the problem.

It’s important to know that inflammation of the lungs may occur as a result of reasons other than infection, such as inhaling food, drink, or vomit into the lungs. This is called “aspiration pneumonia” and can be life-threatening.

Although pneumonia kills about 50,000 people annually in the United States, most of these cases are in the elderly, the very young, or those with poor immune systems. One infection that is clearly passed from one human to another is influenza. This year’s flu season is becoming one of the worst in recent memory, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The last serious viral influenza outbreak in the U.S.  was 2017…

Read the entire article at Doom and Bloom Medical.

 

American Thinker: Can the Union Endure?

In yet another article predicting either civil war or other dissolution of the United States, here is American Thinker take on where the US is going. Can the Union Endure? I think the author speaks with overconfidence on the ease of a conservative victory but there are other valuable tidbits.

At this point, Red and Blue America are not even speaking the same language.  We stand near the point of what divorce lawyers term “irreconcilable differences.”  In increasingly strident and self-assured tones, the Left believes it is morally superior, intellectually untouchable, and wholly justified in pursuing whatever extralegal, corrupt, or violent methods available to implement their ideology.

Talk of a breaking point has been circling conservative circles for some time, with three tangible options arising from the chatter:

1) continued focus on barely winning elections, appointing “conservative” judges that uphold Obamacare, keeping Arizona from going blue, etc.;

2) a “divorce” of sorts that peaceably divides the United States into permanent blue and red territories, or;

3) civil war…

Civil war in present-day America would not consist of professional armies mowing each other down across empty fields.  It would be a house-to-house, street-by-street massacre, more akin to Hotel Rwanda than the battlefields of the American or even the Russian and Spanish civil wars.

The majority of the fighting would be carried out not by professional armies, but by private citizens, vigilantes, partisans, ad hoc neighborhood units, and the like.  People on both sides would use the breakdown of order to settle private scores and commit crimes of opportunity.  Others would kill indiscriminately based on “offenses” such as voting records, yard signs, etc.

Schools would close.  Hospitals would become graveyards for the untreated.  Water purification plants, oil refineries, and transportation hubs would be sabotaged.  Even in red states, food and energy supplies would be unreliable.  Sympathizers would be targeted, mobs would destroy, and homes would burn.  Bombings that bedeviled Great Britain during the Troubles or present-day Afghanistan would become the norm here…

Liberty Blitzkrieg: The 2nd Amendment Sanctuary Movement

Michael Krieger of Liberty Blitzkrieg has up an article about Localism in the 2020s and specifically discussing the effectiveness and importance of the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement.

…Before discussing the significance of all this, let’s address some thoughtful criticism of the movement from Michael Boldin of the Tenth Amendment Center. His primary point of contention is that the resolutions these municipalities and counties are passing — unlike immigration sanctuary ordinances passed in places such as San Francisco — carry no weight of the law.

Specifically, they’re not passing ordinances, but rather resolutions, which Michael describes as “non-binding political statements.” In other words, it’s all just talk at this stage and he’s frustrated that much of the media coverage makes it seem what’s being passed is more concrete than it actually is. Although I disagree with his overall assessment of the importance of what’s happening, he makes many good points and puts some much needed meat on the bone of this issue for those getting up to speed. He published an instructive video on the topic, which I recommend checking out.

Despite his legitimate criticisms, I believe the second amendment sanctuary movement is meaningful in the bigger picture of the nation’s emergent social and political evolution. Although it is indeed mostly just talk at this point, there’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re going to build a movement you need to start by talking and establishing some sort of consensus amongst your peers. More concrete steps can follow in the future. Don’t forget this is a learning process for many of the people involved, and many of those coming out to these city and county meetings likely never engaged politically in such a manner before in their lives…

Even bigger picture, the second amendment sanctuary movement should be seen as a manifestation of a core trend I except to grow considerably in the decade to come: localism. The people driving this movement aren’t petitioning Washington D.C. or even their state house, instead they’re looking to their friends and neighbors and taking a unified stand at the local level. Simply put, they’re attempting to take matters into their own hands as opposed to begging distant authority figures. This is in large part why their actions seem disorganized and unsophisticated; these are just regular people saying enough is enough, and in this case the line in the sand happens to be firearms.

This goes against everything we’re taught. We’re led to believe we have representatives in D.C. that actually represent us and we just need to elect the right people to have our voices heard. This sounds good, but we all know by now it’s a lie…

Importantly, this is how it should be. If we’re going to crawl out of the mess we’re in it seems clear we need a different approach. Pretending all we need to do is “elect good people” to Congress or the Presidency is a slave mentality. The system itself is so completely corrupt and so explicitly rewards criminal and evil behavior, we need to start thinking and acting differently, which means focusing on what’s closest to home…

Click here to read the entire article at Liberty Blitzkrieg.

Wilderness Doc: New Guidelines for Spinal Protection

In Spinal Protection in the Wilderness: What We’ve Been Doing Wrong for Decades the Wilderness Doc talks about the new (Dec. 2019) Wilderness Medical Society Guidelines for spinal cord protection and what it means for wilderness/remote care. Reprinted below is an excerpt, be sure to go and read the whole article so that you aren’t misled into doing something dangerous by the sample.

…If you have been a victim of a traumatic injury over the past 50 years, you have been quickly placed in a cervical collar and strapped to a backboard to “protect your spine”. Countless patients have been tortured (ok, maybe a little overly dramatic but…) for hours on end as they waited for their spines to be “cleared”.

This practice guideline simplifies the use of rigid cervical collars and immobilization all the way down to–don’t use them…

You and a friend find yourselves in the mountains of Georgia hiking along a moderate to difficult trail with some steep terrain. Your friend turns to look at an interesting bird flying through the forest canopy and loses his footing sliding off and down the steep embankment. You rush to the edge of the trail to watch as he turns over and over, falling head over heels down the 100-foot slope. Quickly, you slide down the embankment and find yourself at your partner’s side. He is awake and alert, cursing vigorously at his misstep.

You ask, “Are you alright?”

Sitting up, he replies, “Yes.” As he carefully bends his neck to the left, right, back, and front with no indication of pain of any type.

Throughout the last half-century, any physician or provider with the slightest knowledge of emergency medicine would have fainted at the thought of letting a patient go through the maneuvers described above. If asked about what should have taken place, they would tell you the patient had to be immobilized. Immediately upon arriving on the scene, the uninjured party should have counseled their companion to remain still, lie completely flat on the ground, and not move their neck.

After all, there could be an unnoticed and unidentified spinal cord injury.

We must protect the spinal cord. 

Given the guidelines as presented in this paper, the patient above has cleared himself. Being alert and able to safely and without pain mobilize the neck in a full range of motion (without distracting injury) rules out a spinal cord injury. In some instances, it may be desired to provide some form of non-rigid cervical spine motion restriction. However, the rigid cervical collar has been shown to cause more harm than good…

Click here to read the entire article at Wilderness Doc.

Gatestone Institute: US Policy on Iran Heading in the Right Direction

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, an Iranian-born scholar, political scientist, and foreign policy expert, has written an article over at the Gatestone Institute in which he says that President’s Trump forceful stance on Iran is the right policy for checking the dangerous regime.

Gatestone Institute: Thanks to the President, U.S. Policy Heading in the Right Direction

The critics of President Trump’s Iran policy have been proven wrong once again: Not only have the US sanctions imposed significant pressure on the ruling mullahs of Iran and their ability to fund their terror groups, but in addition, President Trump recently ordered a game-changing military attack that killed both Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near the Baghdad airport.

According to the US Department of Defense, Soleimani “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”

The unexpected death of Soleimani should be regarded as a severe blow to the ruling mullahs. When it comes to authority in the Islamic Republic, Soleimani was considered Iran’s second man after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A staunchly loyal confidante to Khamenei, Soleimani enjoyed enormous influence over dictating the Iranian regime’s foreign policy. Soleimani was not bragging when he wrote in a message to US Gen. David Petraeus:

“… you should know that I, Qassem Suleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, and Afghanistan. And indeed, the ambassador in Baghdad is a Quds Force member. The individual who’s going to replace him is a Quds Force member.”

Soleimani was appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader to be the head of the Quds Force, a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), almost two decades ago. The Quds Force is tasked with exporting Iran’s ideological, religious and revolutionary principles beyond the country’s borders.

As the leader of the Quds Force, Soleimani was in charge of extraterritorial operations, including organizing, supporting, training, arming and financing predominantly Shiite militia groups; launching wars directly or indirectly via these proxies; fomenting unrest in other nations to advance Iran’s ideological and hegemonic interests; attacking and invading cities and countries; and assassinating foreign political figures and powerful Iranian dissidents worldwide.

The Quds Force fomented unrest in Iraq by providing deadly, sophisticated bombs, including improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that killed many civilians and non-civilians, including Iraqis and Americans.

Under his leadership, the Quds Force was also accused of failed plans to bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies in the US, and to assassinate then-Saudi Ambassador to the US Adel Al-Jubeir. An investigation revealed that the Quds Force was also behind the assassination of Lebanon’s Sunni Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri…

Click here to read the entire article at Gatestone Institute.

Ammoland: NY Governor Cuomo Exposed by New Evidence in NRA Lawsuit

From Ammoland – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Exposed by New Evidence in NRA Complaint

…According to a press release, the NRA filed a proposed Second Amended Complaint on December 20th 2019, citing documents provided by Lloyd’s this past June. According to the Memorandum of Law, the documents – and other information – “paint a stark and troubling picture of” the actions taken by the Cuomo regime. These included threats of adverse government action “delivered in off-the-record conversations and surreptitious backroom meetings” unless the company stopped doing business with the NRA.

According to a publicly released version of the Second Amended Complaint, the threats were backed up by fines levied against two insurance companies that did business with the NRA, including its Carry Guard insurance program intended to defray legal expenses from self-defense incidents. The coercion from the Cuomo regime eventually led those companies to sign settlements in which they agreed to cease doing any business with the NRA.

The track record of Andrew Cuomo should be no secret to loyal AmmoLand readers. While serving as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, he encouraged big cities to file lawsuits against firearms manufacturers, using the threat of bankruptcy via massive legal fees to coerce the gun companies to agree to restrictions that were largely rejected in Congress and most state legislatures. Did anyone forget that before the 2000 election, Cuomo had succeeded in forcing Smith and Wesson to accept terms that outraged law-abiding gun owners?

…The New York Times magazine noted that the Cuomo regime’s campaign has cost the NRA about $40 million in lost income and attorney’s fees in 2019 alone. Imagine how much $40 million could have done to promote the defense of our Second Amendment rights, training people to responsibly exercise their Second Amendment rights, or even training gunsmiths.

The stakes of the NRA’s fight with New York cannot be higher. As William Brewer told the New York Times magazine, “If they could do it to those guys, they could do it to me. They could do it to all of us.”