Tag: gun control

WA-GOAL Legislative Update 2020-6

From the Washington Gun Owners Action League:

GOAL Post 2020-6
Legislative Update from Olympia 14 February 2020

GOAL POST POSTED ON WEB SITES
H FISCAL COMMITTEE CUT-OFF PASSES
FOCUS ON FLOOR ACTION
BILLS PASS HOUSE, SENATE
CHAMBER CUT-OFF NEXT WEDNESDAY
LIBRARIES OMITTED FROM SB 5434 PROHIBITION
NO GUN BILL HEARINGS NEXT WEEK… MAYBE
REPEAT: SUBMIT COMMENTS ON BILLS TO OLYMPIA

Given my continuing e-mail problems, GOAL Post is being posted on the Gun Owners Action League of Washington Facebook page, and in the legislative activity drop-down link at the top of the Washington Arms Collectors home page.

The fiscal committee cut-off passed earlier this week and three bills (HBs 2467, 2555, and 2622) moved from House Appropriations to House Rules, awaiting a floor vote.

Not quite four weeks left in the session… Next Wednesday (19 Feb) at 5 p.m. is the chamber cut-off – all House bills must pass out of the House or be considered dead for the session. Ditto all Senate bills out of the Senate. Then the policy committee hearing process starts on the other side. The focus between now and Wednesday will be on floor action, including likely weekend floor sessions. Monday is the President’s Day holiday – except in Olympia where all days are workdays.

Three bills passed out of the House (HBs 2305, 2467, and 2622). SB 5434 passed out of the Senate. The bills now shift chambers. Keep in mind there are seven bill EACH in the House and Senate awaiting a floor vote. Most will likely be passed before Wednesday’s cut-off.

Note that libraries have been removed from the original expanded gun free zone bill, SB 5434. Wonder why? Testimony from the public hearing on the bill last year: “Librarians have apprehension regarding the implementation of this legislation. The burden of enforcing this law would fall to librarians who do not have the expertise to enforce this issue and do not want the responsibility. Given statements that many sheriffs have made about I-1639, librarians are concerned that the sheriff would not respond if they asked for police assistance.”

Bottom line? You can’t pass a bunch of unconstitutional laws and expect people who have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution to enforce them.

Note that Senate Law & Justice has several meetings next week, with bills addressed “to be determined.” These will likely be bills, including gun bills, passed by the other chamber before the chamber cut-off.

Can’t make it to Olympia? You can go to the following web site to submit your comments directly for any given bill. Just add the four-digit bill number (four numerals only, not HB or SB) right after …bill/ I can’t promise the comments will be read, but it’s YOUR opportunity to be heard. Be polite, be brief. And be firm. “Shall not be impaired” means exactly THAT!

https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/(four digit bill number)

BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:

HB 1010 WSP destruction of firearms Senn (D-41) S. L&J OPPOSE
*HB 1068 Magazine restrictions Valdez (D-43) DIED OPPOSE
HB 1315 CPL training requirement Lovick (D-44) H. Rules OPPOSE
*HB 1374 Repeals state preemption of gun laws Macri (D-43) DIED OPPOSE
HB 1671 Confiscation of firearms Dolan (D-22) H. Rules NEUTRAL
*HB 2196 Raise standard for issue of a “red flag” order Walsh (R-19) DIED SUPPORT
*HB 2202 Exempts law enforcement from a/w training Klippert (R-8) DIED OPPOSE
HB 2240 Bans high capacity magazines Valdez (D-43) H. Rules OPPOSE
*HB 2241 Bans assault weapons and magazines Peterson (D-21) DIED OPPOSE
HB 2305 Expands firearm prohibition re: protection orders Doglio (D-22) PASSED H. OPPOSE
HB 2367 Self defense insurance Hoff (R-18) H. Rules SUPPORT
HB 2467 Centralized firearm background checks Hansen (D-23) PASSED H. NEUTRAL
*HB 2519 Ammunition background checks Walen (D-48) DIED OPPOSE
HB 2555 Background checks for “other” firearms Goodman (D-45) H. Rules OPPOSE
*HB 2569 Pre-trial detention for certain firearm offenses Wylie (D-49) DIED OPPOSE
HB 2622 Court order non-compliance, firearm surrender Kilduff (D-28) PASSED H OPPOSE
HB 2623 Firearm prohibition, certain offenses Walen (D-48) H. Rules OPPOSE
*HB 2767 Recreation shooting areas on public lands Blake (D-19) DIED SUPPORT
HB 2820 Firearms forfeiture/DV court order (correction) Klippert (R-8) H. Rules NEUTRAL
*HB 2925 Bans firearms on Capitol grounds and buildings Senn (D-41) DIED OPPOSE
HJR 4210 Pretrial detention for certain firearm offenses Wylie (D-49) H. Pub Saf OPPOSE

SB 5434 Expands gun free zones to day cares Wilson, C (D-30) PASSED S OPPOSE
*SB 6043 Self defense insurance Wilson, L. (R-17) DIED SUPPORT
*SB 6076 Bans assault weapons and hi cap magazines Kuderer (D-48) DIED OPPOSE
SB 6077 Bans high capacity magazines Kuderer (D-48) S. Rules OPPOSE
*SB 6161 Excise tax on ammunition Dhingra (D-45) DIED OPPOSE
SB 6163 Unlawful possession BEFORE conviction Dhingra (D-45) S.Rules OPPOSE
SB 6288 Office of firearm violence prevention Dhingra (D-45) S. Rules OPPOSE
SB 6289 Restoration of firearm rights Dhingra (D-45) S. Rules OPPOSE
SB 6294 CPL training requirement Saloman (D-32) S. Rules OPPOSE
*SB 6347 CPL validity seven years with training Wagoner (R-39) DIED SUPPORT
SB 6402 Use of a stolen firearm Rivers (R-18) S.Rules SUPPORT
SB 6406 Concerning firearms Wilson, L (R-17) S. Rules SUPPORT
SB 6584 Unlawful purchase of a firearm Zeiger (R-25) S.Rules SUPPORT
*SB 6673 Removes many existing firearm restrictions Fortunato (R-31) DIED 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:
None scheduled, but see note about from Senate Law & Justice about “to be determined.”

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):
Monroe 28-29 March
Puyallup Pavilion 4-5 April

“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

Seattle Times: Dems Introduce Bill Banning Firearms on Capitol Campus

This Seattle Times story incorrectly states that the protestors were on the Capitol campus for a rally for Rep. Matt Shea, when they were actually there for the Rally 4 Ur Rights, gun rights rally at which Shea was a speaker. Rep. JT Wilcox is the alleged Republican representative who suspended Rep. Matt Shea after a Democrat hit piece was distributed in the guise of a report. Wilcox enjoys a good relationship with house Democrats because he is so compromising and attentive to their wishes.

Washington state Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island, on Monday introduced a bill  to ban firearms on the Capitol campus after lawmakers and staff were left shaken Friday when more than 100 armed demonstrators showed up to apparently protest the treatment of Rep. Matt Shea.

The protesters, some carrying long guns and tactical gear, did not have a permit to demonstrate on the site. They were there attempting to speak with House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, according to House officials…

Friday’s demonstration is not the first to included armed protesters rallying at the Capitol for Shea — and denouncing Wilcox. The Washington State Patrol began investigating potential online threats made against Wilcox in the run-up to a gun-rights rally last month where Shea spoke.

On Friday, Wilcox was away, but the demonstrators allegedly berated his legislative aide, using profanity.

“Obviously we’re concerned about what happened,” said House Chief Clerk Bernard Dean. “They were here specifically for Shea and they verbally abused Rep. Wilcox’s legislative assistant…”

The appearance of armed demonstrators at the Capitol building and another legislative building used for House hearings upset children and staffers, according to Senn…

He said he doesn’t agree with Senn’s House Bill 2925 to ban firearms at the campus, saying, “We’ve had decades of peaceful Second Amendment rallies” at the Capitol.

 

Colion Noir: Bloomberg Says Ban Guns Holding More than 3 Rounds

Billionaire Tyrant Mike Bloomberg
Billionaire Tyrant Mike Bloomberg

This will come as no surprise to local readers, but presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is a tyrannical idiot. In the video below, vlogger Colion Noir comments on clips from a recent interview given by Bloomberg in which the candidate shows that he knows nothing about 1) the second amendment, 2) the 1994 assault weapons ban, 3) hunting, nor 4) firearms. But he’s super excited to legislate on an issue on which he is clueless. Bloomberg gives a vague definition of assault weapons which he would ban: “if it can fire a lot of bullets very quickly.” When pressed to give a better definition he says if you can’t hit the deer in three shots you’re a lousy shot and you don’t need more.

WA-GOAL Legislative Update 2020-4

From the Washington Gun Owners Action League:

GOAL Post 2020-4
Legislative Update from Olympia 31 January 2020

ANOTHER 2019 BILL RESURRECTED
PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED
BILLS MOVE OUT OF COMMITTEE
DIRECT ACCESS FOR BILL COMMENTS
POLICY COMMITTEE CUT-OFF 7 FEBRUARY
WAC SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

SB 5434 (Wilson, C. D-30, bans guns in parks and day cares) was a 2019 bill that didn’t make it through last year. It was pulled up this week and sent straight to Senate Rules for a floor vote.

Public hearings are scheduled on several gun bills next week. Senate Law & Justice will take public testimony on 3 February at 10:00 am on SBs 6289 (Dhingra D-45, restoration of firearm rights) and 6584 (Zeiger R-25, unlawful purchase of a firearm) In House Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10:00 am on 4 February on HBs 2767 (Blake D-19, recreational shooting on public lands) and 2820 (Klippert R-8, firearms forfeiture DV court order). Also on 4 February I n House Public Safety, at 3:30 pm, HBs 2569 (Wylie D-49, pre-trial detention for certain firearm offenses) and HJR 4210

(HJR 4210 is a House and Senate joint resolution that if passed would be put up for a public vote. Sort of a legislative initiative to the people. HJR 4210 authorizes pre-trial detention for any individual found in violation of a firearm while subject to certain court/restraining orders. Is pre-trial detention constitutional? Just like “red flag” protection orders?)

Executive sessions were conducted on several gun bills this week and (several) passed out of committee. See “Bill Status” below. Executive sessions will be held next week on bills 2305, 2622, 2623, 2767, 2820, 6289, 6584.

Keep in mind you can attend executive sessions (sit in the hearing room) but there is no public input allowed. It’s sometimes instructive to listen to the legislators talk about the bills before they vote on them.

You can’t comment in executive session, but you CAN submit comments on-line on bills of interest. See next item.

Can’t make it to Olympia? You can go to the following web site to submit your comments directly for any given bill. Just add the four-digit bill number (four numerals only, not HB or SB) right after …bill/ I can’t promise the comments will be read, but it’s YOUR opportunity to be heard. Be polite, be brief.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/xxxx

Next Friday, 7 February, is the first policy committee cut-off date, the day by which all bills must pass out of their original policy committee (Senate Law & Justice, House Civil Rights & Judiciary or Public Safety for gun bills) or (technically) be considered dead for the session.

The Washington Arms Collectors is seeking volunteers to work the voter registration table at the gun shows in Puyallup and Monroe. If you have the time, please see Jane Milhans or George Kelley at the shows. The 2020 elections, at all levels, are the elections of a lifetime. Please do your part. Think of your grandson sitting on your lap in 20-30 years, asking, “What did you do in the big gun war, Gramps?”

BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:

HB 1010 WSP destruction of firearms Senn (D-41) S. L&J OPPOSE
HB 1068 Magazine restrictions Valdez (D-43) H. CR&J OPPOSE
HB 1315 CPL training requirement Lovick (D-44) H. Rules OPPOSE
HB 1374 Repeals state preemption of gun laws Macri (D-43) H. CR&J OPPOSE
HB 1671 Confiscation of firearms Dolan (D-22) H. Rules 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. Rules OPPOSE
HB 2241 Bans assault weapons and magazines Peterson (D-21) H. CR&J OPPOSE
HB 2305 Expands firearm prohibition re: protection orders Doglio (D-22) H. CR&J OPPOSE
HB 2467 Centralized firearm background checks Hansen (D-23) H. Aprop NEUTRAL
HB 2519 Ammunition background checks Walen (D-48) H. CR&J OPPOSE
HB 2555 Background checks for “other” firearms Goodman (D-45) H. Rules OPPOSE
HB 2569 Pre-trial detention for certain firearm offenses Wylie (D-49) H. PubSaf OPPOSE
HB 2622 Court order non-compliance, firearm surrender Kilduff (D-28) H. CR&J OPPOSE
HB 2623 Firearm prohibition, certain offenses Walen (D-48) H. CR&J OPPOSE
HB 2767 Recreation shooting areas on public lands Blake (D-19) H. CR&J SUPPORT
HB 2820 Firearms forfeiture/DV court order (correction) Klippert (R-8) H. CR&J NEUTRAL
HJR 4210 Pretrial detention for certain firearm offenses Wylie (D-49) H. Pub Saf OPPOSE

SB 5434 Expands gun free zones to parks and day cares Wilson, C (D-30) S. Rules 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. Rules OPPOSE
SB 6161 Excise tax on ammunition Dhingra (D-45) S. L&J OPPOSE
SB 6163 Unlawful possession BEFORE conviction Dhingra (D-45) S.Rules OPPOSE
SB 6288 Office of firearm violence prevention Dhingra (D-45) S. W&M OPPOSE
SB 6289 Restoration of firearm rights Dhingra (D-45) S. L&J OPPOSE
SB 6294 CPL training requirement Saloman (D-32) S. Rules OPPOSE
SB 6347 CPL validity seven years with training Wagoner (R-39) S. L&J SUPPORT
SB 6402 Use of a stolen firearm Rivers (R-18) S.Rules SUPPORT
SB 6406 Concerning firearms Wilson, L (R-17) S. Rules SUPPORT
SB 6584 Unlawful purchase of a firearm Zeiger (R-25) 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:

3 Feb Senate Law & Justice Committee, Senate Hearing Room “1,” JAC Bldg
10:00 am SBs 6289 and 6584

4 Feb House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee, House Hearing Room “A,” JLO Bldg
10:00 am HBs 2767 and 2820

4 Feb House Public Safety Committee, House Hearing Room “D,”, JLO Bldg.
3:30 pm HB 2569 and HJR 4210

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

GOAL Post 2020-4 in pdf for easy printing

“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 House Committee Passes Standard Cap. Mag Ban & CPL Restriction

From the NRA-ILA:

On January 31st, the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee voted to pass bills to ban most standard capacity magazines and make it more difficult to obtain a CPL. These bills will now go to the Rules Committee awaiting being pulled to the House floor. Please contact your state Representative and ask them to OPPOSE House Bills 2240 and 1315.

House Bill 2240, as passed out of committee, bans the manufacture, possession, sale, transfer, etc. of magazines that hold more than fifteen rounds of ammunition. This measure is strongly supported by the Governor and the Attorney General. These so called “high capacity” magazines are in fact standard equipment for commonly-owned firearms that many Americans legally and effectively use for an entire range of legitimate purposes, such as self-defense or competition. Those who own non-compliant magazines prior to the ban are only allowed to possess them on their own property and in other limited instances such at licensed shooting ranges or while hunting. These magazines have to be transported unloaded and locked separately from firearms and stored at home locked, making them unavailable for self-defense.

House Bill 1315 requires onerous government red tape and further training to obtain a Concealed Pistol License. Mandatory training requirements are yet another cost prohibitive measure intended to ensure that lower income Americans are barred from defending themselves.

Again, please contact your state Representative and ask them to OPPOSE House Bills 2240 and 1315.

Black Man with a Gun: 30 Year Gun Control Cycle

Kenn Blanchard of Black Man with a Gun has an article up saying that gun control seems to go on a thirty year cycle with some crazy, restrictive, nonsensical laws being passed for example in 1934, 1968, 1994, and now.

In 1991, I began a campaign to change the gun laws in America. It was accidental. Having grown up in the turbulent 60s, the groovy 70s and the excessive 80s, the thoughts on guns depended where you were geographically, and culturally. The Gun Control Act of 1968 had made firearms the scapegoat for the murder of the Kennedy’s, King, and El Shabazz. It was an easy sell. War is still hell. Criminals still kill people. Bad guys still exist.

Every thirty years since the first gun control act in the Virginia colonies preventing the Indigenous people, Chinese and African from owning firearms, the issue of gun control flares like sunspot. Politicians find the support to lie and instill fear of the inanimate object. Organizations grow based on that lie and people that don’t want to think believe.

Every thirty years, gun laws become more restrictive. Common sense is excused. The facts are ignored and popular opinion shifts away from reality.

What has happened in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the past few months is right on schedule.

The response is different though. In the past thirty years, we have connected via the internet. The news is still fed to us, but it can be chosen. Information can be shared without government approval. People are able to decide what they want to believe. The tactics to divide us are still the same and still work however.

Fearing a repeat of the deadly violence that engulfed Charlottesville more than two years ago, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a temporary emergency Wednesday banning all weapons, including guns, from Capitol Square ahead of a massive rally planned next week over gun rights.

The Governor of Virginia, mobilized law enforcement to imply that the decades old Lobby Day in Richmond was a threat to the Commonwealth. The passing of sanctuary cities in over 150 locales in the state added to the fervor. What is worse is that the same governor that may have donned black face in college, insinuates that the Virginia Citizens Defense League is like the white supremacist that plagued Charlottesville in 2017. Yes, he found some crazies to arrest prior to Lobby Day but the 3000+ people that successfully showed up, not only cleaned up after themselves but were law abiding.

He declared a state of an emergency and bans guns from Capitol Square. The media loved to show us the pictures of the armed brothers and sisters outside that area.

Gun control is and always has been racist.

The racism nobody will admit is against the white male gun owners of Virginia…

 

 

Click here to read the entire article at Black Man with a Gun.

Alt-Market: The Virginia Gun Rights Conflict: Best And Worst Case Scenarios

This excerpt of The Virginia Gun Rights Conflict: Best And Worst Case Scenarios comes from Brandon Smith at Alt-Market. This might be a good time to mention that there is actually a difference between Leftists and Liberals, as Brandon Smith keeps using the word Leftist in his article. In general, a leftist is anti-capitalism; they may be pro socialism or communism. Liberals, on the other hand, are generally pro-capitalism, or at least some form of regulated capitalism that they have “fixed.” Leftists are less likely to believe in the concept of nations, preferring instead the brotherhood of all peoples, while liberals may still believe in the concepts of patriotism in their own terms. In the current Democrat Presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders is a leftist, while Elizabeth Warren is a liberal. Leftists and liberals, while existing within the same Democrat party don’t like each other very much and don’t like being conflated. I point this out merely because many leftists do consider themselves pro-gun because socialists in history (like Marx and Orwell) have said that the proletariat must have arms in order to smash the capitalists.

“Citizens, turn in your weapons.” 1918 Russia

In my article ‘Trump Impeachment And The Civil War Scenario’, I warned that conservatives and leftists are being pushed to the brink of a shooting war using various methods of social manipulation and 4th Gen warfare, and that this conflict, if dictated by gatekeepers of the false Left/Right paradigm, would only benefit establishment elites in the long run. Internal division among the public is designed to keep us at each other’s throats while losing focus on the real enemies.

Hard line democrats and the social justice cult are merely a symptom of the disease, they are not the source of the disease. However, I also acknowledge that the rift between conservatives and the political left has become so extreme that reconciliation is almost impossible. War might be unavoidable, and the globalists love it. If they can pretend like they had nothing to do with creating tensions, and if conservatives are so blinded by anger against Democrats that they refuse to admit that some of their own political leaders (including Trump) have been co-opted, the elites win.

The danger in any civil war is that BOTH sides end up being manipulated and controlled, and that the situation is maneuvered towards an outcome that only serves the interests of a select few…

Leftists argue that sanctuary county resolutions are “purely symbolic” and have no force of law behind them.

This is a rather naive (perhaps deliberately naive) position, as it ignores the fundamentals. The force of law is either compelled by conscience, or it is compelled by violence. The law itself is meaningless without these two factors.  If groups of citizens choose not to follow a law because they find it morally reprehensible, there is nothing the state can do except try to frighten them into compliance with the threat of violence. The concept of a law by itself has no energy, and claiming that something is “right” because it is now “law” is not a valid argument.

In the case of anti-gun laws in Virginia, the VAST majority of counties in the state and the people in those counties have made it clear that they will not comply. The leftists have completely ignored this fact by simply saying “They have to comply because the law says so…” This is the type of attitude that leads to war…

Leftists claim that 2nd Amendment sanctuaries are not comparable to illegal immigrant sanctuaries.

Leftists are correct, the two situations are NOT the same.  Illegal immigration is not a constitutionally protected right, and gun ownership is.

I find it fascinating that not long ago leftists and statist Republicans were arguing fervently against the idea that states and municipalities could nullify federal law.  During the 10th Amendment and nullification uprisings that led to such confrontations as Bundy Ranch, these people viciously attacked anyone that supported sovereignty activism.  They used to claim that the federal government was the alpha and the omega; the final word.  Now, suddenly, leftists have pulled a u-turn and are attempting to assert sovereignty rights for illegals in sanctuary states and cities.  Again, illegals are not afforded constitutional protections, gun owners are.

One could try to make a moral argument in favor of protecting illegal immigrants from deportation, but there is no legal argument…

The worst case scenario is that this is an establishment beta test for the rest of the country, and that they may WANT to start a conflict in the hopes that this will spread into a national civil war. This kind of scheme would require accelerated and violent enforcement of gun laws by Democrats in Virginia to illicit an immediate response. If this is the case, and a wider conflict is triggered, conservatives MUST NOT lose sight of the bigger picture. The globalists should be the focus of our ire; the democrats are being used. A conflict based only on political division will mean defeat for us all, and a win for the elites.

Click here to read the entire article at Alt-Market.

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

Law Enforcement Today: Virginia Threatens Gun Ranges

Further feeding the nascent flames of insurrection in the state of Virginia, Virginia HB 567 would prohibit any indoor shooting ranges unless they are in a building owned or leased by the state.

From Law Enforcement Today:

According to the bill, which has not yet been voted on or approved, would prohibit” the operation of an indoor shooting range, defined in the bill, in any building not owned or leased by the Commonwealth or federal government.”

For those that would be staying open, the state appears to want them to act as a data collecting operation, creating a state-controlled list of who is using the range as well as their photo ID and home address.

Let’s be clear. This is a very real threat against the rights laid out in the Constitution. Americans have the right to defend themselves. And the state is literally trying to stop gun owners from training and improving their skills.

This is an attack on our liberties.

And not only is it unfair to those who wish to train, it’s also a blow to small business owners across the Commonwealth.

Click here to read the entire article at Law Enforcement Today.

Independent Institute: Second Amendment Sanctuaries Started in 1774

Attorney and author Stephen P. Holbrook has written an article about Second Amendment sanctuaries and what is going on in Virginia over at Independent Institute. Dr. Holbrook has written and litigated extensively on Second Amendment issues. He wrote an amicus brief for DC v Heller and was counsel for the NRA in McDonald v Chicago, both before the US Supreme Court, among others.

…Spearheading the war on Virginia gun owners is Gov. Ralph Northam, best known for his gig in blackface or Klan attire, and for calmly endorsing post-delivery abortion, that is, infanticide. To divert attention from the backlash, he is moving to criminalize all sorts of innocent conduct that has been lawful in the Commonwealth since Jamestown was settled in 1607.

It’s as if “the Redcoats are coming” again. Northam’s counterpart in 1774 was Lord Dunmore, the last royal governor, who took measures to disarm “disloyal” Virginians led by Patrick Henry. The patriots were arming and organizing themselves into independent companies to protect their rights.

None other than George Washington formed the Fairfax Independent Militia Company. “Threat’ned with the Destruction of our Civil-rights, & Liberty,” wrote George Mason, the volunteers pledged that “we will, each of us, constantly keep by us” a musket, six pounds of gunpowder, and 20 pounds of lead.

That was a lot of ammo. There’s a parallel here to the “large capacity” magazines that Northam wants to ban. And there’s an irony that Fairfax County is now the center of the blue wave that supports Dunmoresque gun bans.

The rest is history. In 1775 the Redcoats marched to seize colonists’ arms at Lexington and Concord and the Americans repulsed them. The inhabitants of Boston were ordered to turn in their guns, which were seized by British General Gage. The Continental Congress cited this perfidy in the Declaration of Causes of Taking Up Arms.

Nothing like that will happen today. Counties that have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries make clear their dedication to use all lawful means to protect their constitutional rights. Law-enforcement authorities have scarce resources and must choose how to allocate them. Work to solve murders and robberies, or track down gun owners because they have rifles with those oh-so-deadly pistol grips or adjustable stocks? That’s a no-brainer.

But those who support filling the prisons with law-abiding citizens just because they have, for instance, a rifle that will also shoot flares—which is nothing more than a distress signal—should remember our history. The Second Amendment was adopted to prevent exactly those kinds of infringements.

A Second Amendment sanctuary shouldn’t be any more controversial than a First Amendment sanctuary. Imagine if the governor signed a law banning books he didn’t like, then sent police to search houses to confiscate them and arrest their owners, who would be charged with a felony. He could then have a book burning alongside of his massive gun melting…

Click here to read the entire article at Independent Institute.

American Partisan: The 2020 Virginia Showdown

Author and former Navy Seal Matt Bracken has his own take on how things in Virginia will shake out in this American Partisan post – The 2020 Virginia Showdown.

…Just visit Governor Northam’s Twitter account and you will see that 99% of the comments on any post that he makes are tearing him to shreds with thinly veiled threats. When @GovernorVA posts a Merry Christmas message, he receives an unending torrent of angry insults and warnings in return. Online, nobody is letting Northam forget his history of appearing in blackface next to a pal in KKK robes, or that “Coonman” was his college nickname. And nobody is forgetting his recent statements on post-birth baby killing. Nonetheless, he is currently the duly-elected governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

But an important point to consider is that it doesn’t really matter if 51% or 90% of Virginia gun owners roll over and comply with Northam’s gun confiscation and/or registration laws. If even a few percent dig in their heels and privately say “hell no,” that will be enough to lead to violence. To millions of Americans, gun registration and confiscation are simply steps on the path to tyranny and, in many historical examples, eventual genocide. At least tens of thousands of Virginians will refuse to take those first steps, no matter what the law demands of them.

Following inevitably bloody gun confiscation raids, what will matter is not state-wide polling, but the individual deer hunter or sporting marksman who decides to go out on his own with his Remington or Winchester. He will hear about the latest local gun raid, and he will know the exact choke point surrounded by thick cover through which the convoy of LE police cars and SUVs will need to drive on its egress. At first, armed resistance might take the form of warning shots into engines or tires. The armed resistor will then disappear into the landscape, after caching his rifle and picking up his fishing rod for cover. Unit size: one man. No comms, no “chatter.”

Next, the gun confiscators will begin to receive incoming pot-shots on their perimeter security elements while they are conducting suburban raids. The shooter will be back in bed before the gun raiders even know what happened. Step by step, action begetting reaction, a low intensity insurgency will grow and spread.

Consider the panic and mayhem unleashed in California a few years ago by just one angry villain conducting his own private war…

Click here to read the entire article at American Partisan.

Mises: 2019 Was a Bad Year for “Only Cops Should Have Guns”

Ryan McMaken at the Mises Institute writes this article about several instances of private firearm owners stopping a mass shooter or police ineptitude in response to the same. He also briefly notes the general decline in the US homicide rate over the last thirty years while the number of firearms in circulation has increased dramatically.

2019 Was a Bad Year for the “Only Cops Should Have Guns” Narrative

On December 29, an armed gunman entered the West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas and shot two members of the congregation. Within six seconds, a third member of the congregation drew a weapon and shot the gunman dead.

The events were captured on live-streamed video, with the dramatic events — in the minds of many observers — highlighting the benefits of privately owned firearms as a defense against armed criminals. Moreover, the gunman, who had a criminal history, obtained his gun illegally, and demonstrated one of the central pitfalls of the gun-control narrative: namely, that those with criminal intent are not easily restrained by laws controlling access to firearms.

Nonetheless, many media outlets were unable to bring themselves to admit that privately owned firearms in this case were the key to preventing a wider massacre. After all, had the congregation waited around for the police to arrive, it is unknown how effective a police response could have been. Nor is it clear that had the police arrived quickly, they would have immediately engaged the shooter or even engaged the right person.

These considerations were not sufficient to divert many media observers from their insistence that private gun ownership is helpful in situations like these. Both government agents and their media boosters continue to insist that even well-meaning ordinary citizens ought not be trusted with firearms and that what is really needed are “experts” with government-approved police training.

Elvia Diaz at the Arizona Republic demonstrated this premise well when she wrote:

The reality of Wilson’s heroism is a lot more complex. He wasn’t just an ordinary parishioner, as gun advocates may want you to believe. The church’s volunteer security team member is a firearms instructor, gun range owner and former reserve deputy with a local sheriff’s department, according to a New York Times detailed account.

In other words, he’s exactly the kind of man you want around with a firearm. But we know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handguns at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas.

And that’s terrifying.

To many people who aren’t left-leaning journalists, it is hardly “terrifying” that some other private citizens of unknown expertise were armed in the congregation. After all, these people never fired a shot once they saw the shooter had been incapacitated. None of them provided any reason to suspect they pose any risk to anyone else.

On the other hand, 2019 has provided plenty of reminders of what sort of “expertise” and heroism government-provided security forces offer…

Max Velocity: Virginia – Let’s Get Down to the Heart of the Issue

Max Velocity Tactical is located in Culpeper, VA. They sent out this missive a week ago, laying out the outreach they are doing in their area and the severity of the situation in Virginia and elsewhere.

As we sit here on Christmas Eve, we can reflect on the overwhelming groundswell response across Virginia, to the threats of tyranny from Richmond. The MSM is carefully not mentioning any of it. Yet the vast majority of counties and towns have declared themselves as either 2A Sanctuaries, or Constitutional Counties. This has resulted in more rhetoric from Richmond, including threats of violence against the citizens of Virginia.

None of this is complicated. You do not need to be an attorney to understand the Constitution. In regards to the 2A, it says right there:

“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed…..”

This is really a struggle about rights, although focused at this time on the Second Amendment. It is about the rights of the citizens in opposition to the increasing tyranny of the leftists. However, the mindset of those tyrants in Richmond is fascinating: They do not appear to see the predicament they have put themselves in. They are doubling down. You see, they believe their own propaganda. It is clear to any sensible citizen that they are preparing to enact a huge tyranny across Virginia. But the left does not see it that way; they twist the meaning of ‘Constitutional’ and believe that they can pass ‘laws’ that are in fact repugnant to the Constitution, and have them validated by black-robed leftists in a corrupt court system. There have already been statements that any law enforcement officer, not enforcing these proposed new laws, will be fired. Even threats of raising the National Guard for employment in violence against the Citizens of the State. I won’t bore with a full summary, most of you know what is going on.

However, the real reason I decided to sit down and write this article was something I am tracking in comments across the board. It is fear. What do I mean by that? Essentially, it is your normalcy bias not registering the seriousness of our situation. This forces you to act in what you see as a ‘rational’ way, but that in fact is an advantage to the leftists in Richmond.

You see, you are in fear of ‘the authorities.’ You are in fear of saying something that may get you in trouble. You don’t want to cause a fuss. You are a ‘law abiding citizen.’ The usual response to these sort of gun ‘laws’ coming down the pike, as seen in other States, is for people to scuttle and run, and look to ways they can ‘sort of’ get around the ‘laws.’ But God Bless Virginia! Things have gone differently here, and we have a chance. We have a chance to push back on this tyranny, and maybe even create a wave going back into other lost States where they may be able to stand and reclaim their Liberty. Because make no mistake, the leftists are playing for keeps, and if We (The People) lose this now, we will lose it forever, for our kids and grand kids, forever.

The whole Virginia thing has been great so far. However, it may seem to you to be a political / Facebook struggle right now. Making some noise to hope to avoid the promised plans from the Democrat majority in the 2020 session. Posting a meme is fairly low effort, low risk. But make no mistake, this is EXACTLY the kind of tyranny that the 2A is there to prevent. Do not sit in denial. Thus, it is possible that on July 1st 2020, you may become a felon, for standing by your natural and enumerated right to self-defense. It is your duty as a free citizen to NOT ALLOW THE 2A TO BE INFRINGED.

We mostly don’t want to think about it, but there may come a time, and it may be soon, where we face an armed struggle for our rights. If this happens, it will be absolutely because Richmond tried to enact tyranny and force it down our throats. Don’t be duped by the way they talk about ‘laws’ and having them obeyed. Any Virginia Citizen knows their Constitution, and knows what is right and what is wrong. Be absolutely clear in your mind that if this comes to violence, it will be the fault of Richmond. This is why I am writing this article – because I don’t think many of you are there yet. You need to get your mindset right. You need to have your kit packed and ready to go, in case Richmond sends armed men against us.

We are not here making threats. Chest beating is pointless. I’m not one for spurious rhetoric. We are standing by as free citizens, and you need to get your head in the game in terms of what it may mean depending on what comes down the pike from Richmond. To me, there is no course of action other than to ensure that YOUR RIGHTS are not infringed. As such, you will very likely need to be prepared to ACT in SELF-DEFENSE should Richmond send armed men against you. That this may happen is totally un-American, and seems almost impossible in our times of peace and prosperity. But it appears we are there, on the very cusp of that tyranny. If we do not stand, then we lose it for all that come after us. It is a civic duty as free American citizens.

Reminder: If a right is not defended, then it is not a right, and is lost.

Here in Culpeper, we are doing all that we can to avoid such a situation. Through the Culpeper County 2A movement (and Facebook page) we succeeded in having Culpeper voted as a Constitutional County by the Board of Supervisors. We are working on the Culpeper Town Council. We are working on campaigns and rallies, because becoming a Sanctuary is just the beginning.

I have created, as a subsection of Culpeper County 2A, a Facebook Group called Culpeper Volunteers. No, it isn’t a militia, but a pro-bono community outreach of Max Velocity Tactical, where will put on some free training. Nothing we are planning involves violence, or terrorism, or civil disorder of any kind: we simply want to lawfully improve the readiness of County residents to protect their family and community should the need arise. As part of this, I am creating specific threads on the MVT Forum, posted to the Culpeper Volunteers group, in order to address specific issues such as equipping the Patriot etc.

But despite all this, what happens if you, as a law abiding citizen, become a felon in 2020? Because it seems these leftists in Richmond are hell bent on passing these laws, they have the majority, and they think they are in the right. I would not even be surprised, if due to the possible attendance at Lobby Day on January 20th 2020, that something (false flag?) happens to create a situation. It may even go hot. What happens then? That does not give us the six months to campaign that we currently think we have. What if, at some point, a state of Insurrection is declared in Virginia?

It may even be that once the laws are enacted, nothing specifically happens. However, as I stated above, what you need to do is not scuttle and hide. You need to stand up as a responsible Citizen. What could this mean? Perhaps business as usual with going to the range, wherever that is, even in your backyard? Do not acknowledge that any ‘laws’ have even been enacted. Carry on as normal. Particularly if your County has already declared itself a Sanctuary. It may be the case that raids are conducted by armed men in the employ of the State in order to create an example – I would suggest the creation of mutual support groups in your area, in order to make that impossible.

I personally am sick and tired of the laws in this Country being corrupted in the name of tyranny, so we now have a situation where even writing what I have written today is something that will be avoided, for fear of consequences. I would like to see some Federal support for Virginia from the Trump Presidency, perhaps even stopping Governor Northam’s proposed raising of the National Guard to enforce his tyranny. But this is where we have the essential issue – we have a Deep State and elites who are forcing this upon us, and a corrupted government security apparatus. Anyone working for the sort of Agency that will read this, should have sworn an oath to the Constitution. To act against normal American citizens who are only standing for their Constitutional rights is criminal. This has got to stop. There are many things that standing up to this tyranny from Richmond may achieve – and throwing off the yoke of Tyranny is perhaps the most noble. This may be our one and only chance. Put the middle finger up to Richmond!

I advise you to work on your preparations. Physical fitness, equipment, and training. You have to understand that what is happening in Virginia is not the normal way of things. It has not gone this way in other States; normally, the tyranny is simply enacted. In Virginia, the people are reacting and saying NO. This is unique. However, in that unique way, it may lead to places not normally contemplated in our affluent and lazy society. When the Regulars marched to Lexington, they were faced by people who were certainly terrified of the consequences of defying the tyranny of the Crown. And recall, at that time they DID NOT EVEN HAVE the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to hang their hats on; simply an idea of Liberty that must be defended. Whoever fired that shot, it was certainly heard around the world. In our case, we must not fire any shots first, but we must be prepared to act in self-defense should the State act in tyranny and send armed men against us.

1859. Tick-Tock.