THE OTHER WASHINGTON

UN ATT HEADED FOR A VOTE

Activity has been slow in Olympia this week.  There were no surprises in the three public hearings conducted this week.  As a space filler, I’m adding material on developments in D.C. and at the United Nations.  SSB 5282 passed out of House Judiciary and now sits in House Rules awaiting a floor vote.

Next Wednesday is the second chamber policy committee cut-off.  Bills that don’t make it out of their policy committee are considered dead for the remainder of the session, although budgetary bills can always move.

I’m adding SB 5865 to the list.  I should have included it earlier.  The bill, by our own Senator Pam Roach (R-31) exempts the use tax now required from fund raising activities by not-for-profit organizations such as the Friends of NRA, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, etc.  (And probably Washington Ceasefire, too.)  The bill was heard in the Senate Ways & Means committee this week and may be voted on next week.  This is one of those budget bill exceptions to the cut-off.

Three and a half months since the Newtown shooting incident.  Poll numbers in support of additional gun control continue to decline (administration probably wishes it had acted more quickly).

Congress is halfway through a two week Easter  recess…  it returns 8 April.

The focus remains the Senate.

President Obama was back on television Thursday surrounded by sycophants and victims (i.e. dancing once again in the blood of the victims) whining about the lack of action.  We can expect a full bore gun control PR campaign from the White House for the foreseeable future.

New York City Mayor Michael “I was a Democrat before I was a Republican before I was an Independent” Bloomberg has pledged $12 MILLION for an advertising campaign targeted to swing states to get the votes to pass the Senate bill.  Two of the ads feature a rural-looking “hunter” who says he has no objections to background checks.  They don’t ask his opinion of gun registration.

Reid has elected to build one omnibus gun bill (S. 649) to take to the Senate floor for a vote.  The bill carries the innocent sounding title “Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013.”  The full text of the bill is available at:  http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s649pcs/pdf/BILLS-113s649pcs.pdf

The bill runs 44 pages and contains a number of things on the wish list of gun control advocates.  It requires ALL transfers of a firearm to be conducted by an FFL, with full record-keeping as required by current law.  It DOES allow direct gifts to immediate family members without the check, the “loan” of such firearm for a period of up to seven days — PROVIDED the firearm does not leave the lender’s property, and the loan of a firearm at a range or for the purpose of shooting in a match, or while hunting, again with restrictions.  The bill authorizes the Attorney General to set an unspecified transfer fee for FFL processing.

To address “gun trafficking, the bill requires reporting “lost or stolen” firearms to both the Attorney General and local law enforcement with 24 hours of discovery of the loss.  The trafficking section also expands the definition of “strawman sale,” increases penalties to 15 and 25 years in federal prison for violations, adds forfeiture of  any property related to trafficking and ties money laundering and racketeering (RICO) statutes to trafficking crimes.

One good section of the bill: it prohibits “Fast & Furious”-style operations by Department of Justice agencies (but not OTHER federal agencies such as CIA or other Homeland Security elements) UNLESS permission is granted by the Attorney General or his/her designee.

As filed, the bill NOT contain an “assault weapon” or magazine ban, but Reid will allow votes on separate amendments to accomplish the same.  Without doubt several other amendments, good and bad, will be offered.

And let there be no doubt in your mind that this “universal background check” language opens the door to firearm registration.  The data is all there on the dealers records:  buyer identification information and a full description of the firearm.  Retired (out of business) FFL records are ALREADY in a federal data base (NOT a “gun registration” data base, a “tracing” data base — maybe someone can explain the difference).  Current FFL records could be automated almost overnight — the mechanism is already there.

Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and James Imhofe (R-OK) have sent a letter to Majority Leader Reid saying they will “oppose” ANY gun control bill in the Senate.  Whether this opposition amounts to a filibuster remains to be seen.  Several Republicans have expressed an interest in S.649.

Arm-twisting, by Majority Leader Reid AND by the White House has already begun, with threats, with promises of “protection” to red-state Democrats, with offers of “favorable” amendments to Republicans to get them to vote the bill forward.  If you liked the way Obamacare was shoved down Senators’ and Representatives’ throats, you LOVE the  upcoming gun bill(s).  Another “we have to pass the bill to see what’s in it” moment (if THAT’S not an impeachable statement by a Speaker of the House, I don’t know what is).

UN ATT

The United Nations General Assembly is expected to debate and pass it’s long awaited Arms Trade Treaty in the next week or two.  Originally, the U.S. demanded consensus (agreement by all nations) on the language of the bill.  The U.S. withdrew that demand last week.   Like many treaties, it’s full of generalizations and passages subject to interpretation.  Like the Inter-American Arms Treaty (CIFTA) of 1999, the treaty is SUPPOSED to control INTERNATIONAL trade in arms from warships, combat aircraft, tanks, armored vehicles (like the ones DHS is passing out to the states) down to small arms and ammunition (including “sporting arms”).

It clearly opens another door to full firearms registration.  One section reads, “Each State Party (nation) shall establish and maintain a national control system, including a national control list, in order to implement the provisions of this Treaty.”   There is language included that implies nothing in the treaty will infringe on national laws and customs,  but that’s all eyewash.

Should ATT be ratified (there is no question the US will vote FOR it in the UN General Assembly and  President Obama will sign it), the door is wide open to almost any gun control regulation supporters can dream up.

President Clinton signed a similar but narrower treaty, the Inter-American Arms Treaty (CIFTA) in 1999.  The U.S. Senate has yet to vote on that one, despite a request by President Obama for a ratification vote in 2009.

It’s interesting that supporters CLAIM the major effect of the UN ATT is to protect countries from arms transfers to rebel groups within their own borders.  All the talk of “2,000 deaths per day” by all of these weapons ignores the fact that most of the 2,000 are THEIR OWN CITIZENS, being MURDERED BY THEIR OWN GOVERNMENTS.

But we have nothing to worry about…  DHS has more than 1 BILLION rounds of ammunition and 2,700 armored vehicles on hand to protect us and defend U.S. sovereignty.

KEEP IN MIND WE’RE ONE MASS SHOOTING OR OTHER HIGHLY VISIBLE SHOOTING INCIDENT AWAY FROM BROAD AND EXTREME GUN CONTROL MEASURES AT ALL LEVELS FEDERAL AND/OR STATE.  AS LONG AS THEY’RE IN SESSION, WE’RE AT RISK.

BILL STATUS:

The following bills remain under consideration in the 2013 session

Bill #	Subject	Sponsor	Status	Goal Position
SHB 1383	Stalking protection orders	Goodman (D-45)	S. HS&C	Concerns
SHB 1612	Firearm offender registry	Hope (R-44)	S. L&J	Concerns
SHB 1840	Firearms/restraining orders	Goodman (D-45)	S. L&J	Oppose
SSB 5282	DSHS/WSP info exchange	Carrell<(R-28)	H. Rules	Support
SSB 5452	Stalking protection orders	Conway (D-29)	H. Jud	Concerns
SB 5865	Use tax exemption for non-profits	Roach (R-31)	S. W&M	Support

HEARING(S) SCHEDULED

SHB 1612   Senate Law & Justice    Senate Hearing Room “1”

2 April         5:30 p.m.                        John A. Cherberg Bldg

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.

GET THE WORD OUT:  If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]“.  Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights.  Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s).  PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL.  I can be reached at “[email protected]” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867.  Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals.  Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.

If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “[email protected]” with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line.  I will remove your name immediately.  Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists.  If you received GP via a lit, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

Monroe                 6-7 April

Puyallup             27-28 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

 

 

Copyright 2013 Gun Owners Action League of WA

GOAL Post2013-9

Legislative Update from Olympia – 15 March 2013

CHAMBER CUT-OFF PASSES

FOUR MORE BILLS DIE, FIVE REMAIN

HB 1588 DEAD — MAYBE

POLICY COMMITTEE CUT-OFF 3 APRIL

This past Wednesday at 5 p. m. , all bills had to pass out of their original chamber or be considered dead for the session. Four of the bills we are tracking died, five remain in play. The clock simply runs out, and a significant portion of bills die, good and bad. More than 2,000 bills were filed to date; fewer than half made it past the chamber cut-off. That number will likely be cut in half again by the end of the session. Many are filed, but relatively few make it to the Governor’s desk. But it isn’t over until the gavel goes down on Day 105.

Most of the drama this week was over HB 1588, the bill that mandates background checks on ALL firearm transfers within Washington. Democrats fell a few votes short of the needed 50 votes to get it out of the House, despite pressure from Governor Inslee and reportedly at least one telephone call to a legislator from former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), injured in a shooting in Tucson, AZ, fourteen months ago. (Representative Giffords is becoming the Jim Brady of her generation, despite her earlier NRA A-rating, brought out to showcase whatever gun control bill is up for discussion or a vote. )As a last minute maneuver, the bill sponsor tried to attach a referendum clause to the bill, which would have thrown it to the voters in November. At that point, six Democrats who supported the earlier version of the bill withdrew their support — they wanted no part of an off-election-year referendum on guns.

Democrats control the House with a 55D-43R margin. One Republican, Rep.  Mike Hope (R-44) was committed to voting FOR the bill. Thus they needed 49 Democrat votes to pass 1588. At least six righteous Democrats just said “no” (it could be a few more; because a vote was never taken, we won’t know the exact shortfall). The next time someone asks why GOAL supports SOME Democrats, there’s your answer. There are always exceptions to the stereotypes. On both sides.

According to some news reports, HB 1588 was the Democrats’ #1 priority bill for this year. Rest assured it will be back in one form or another. If they can’t find a way to resurrect it during this session, we’ll may see it on the ballot later this year as an Initiative to the People. The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility (WAGR), our state’s newest nanny-state gun grabbing organization, has more than enough money at its disposal to buy its way onto the ballot just as they did in 1997 with I-676. More Seattleites dictating THEIR agenda to the rest of the state. Whether they will do so in an off-year election where turnout is very small remains to be seen.

Over the next 2 1/2 weeks bills will continue to be heard in the other chamber’s policy committees. April 3rd is the next cut-off date.

Earlier this week a senior legislative staffer called me to ask what I meant by the position “concerns” on some bills (several legislators and staffers in Olympia are on the GOAL Post distribution list). “Concerns” means just that:  while I have no problem with the stated intent of the bill, I believe it is written in such a manner that it takes away prosecutorial or judicial discretion. We’ve all heard the horror stories about “zero tolerance” policies in schools, children being expelled for drawing a picture of a gun, and the school principal defends him or herself with the response, “I’m sorry, I know it’s silly, but my hands are tied. It’s the rule. “It’s these “no exceptions, no loopholes” policies — and laws — that get the wrong person in trouble. School administrators, bureaucrats and politicians love “zero tolerance/no exception policies it gives them cover.

An example: Two of the bills still making their way through the system expand the prohibition on firearm possession for individuals subject to different forms of restraining or protective orders. The intent of these laws is to protect people. Great.  I was taught as a child that boys don’t hit girls. And I’ve honored that rule. But for every case where a nutjob goes off the deep end and guns down his or her significant other, there are thousands of individuals subject to these orders that are NOT a danger, and that are being denied the fundamental right of self-defense. And let’s not forget that in many of these domestic cases, the potential threat goes BOTH ways. Laws that are guaranteed to catch EVERY lawbreaker will invariably also catch individuals that may have technically violated that law, but who had no criminal intent.

BILL STATUS:

The following bills remain under consideration in the 2013 session

Bill #	Subject	Sponsor	Status
SHB 1096	Juvenile illegal firearm possession	Hurst (D-31)	Died
SHB 1383S	talking protection orders	Goodman (D-45)	S.  HS&C
SHB 1588	Background checks	Pedersen (D-43)	Died
SHB 1612	Firearm offender registry	Hope (R-44)	S.  L&J
SHB 1839	Background checks	Goodman (D-45)	Died
SHB 1840	Firearms/restraining orders	Goodman (D-45)	S.  L&J
SSB 5282	DSHS/WSP info exchange	Carrell (R-28)	H.  Jud
SSB 5452	Stalking protection orders	Conway (D – )	H.  Jud
SB 5831	Bans double tax on clay pigeons	Rivers (R-18)	Died

Key to abbreviations: SB = Senate Bill, HB = House Bill, Jud = Judiciary, L&J = Law & Justice, HS&C = Human Services & Corrections, Trans = Transportation, Approp = Appropriations, Early Learn = Early Learning and K-12 Education, W&M = Ways & Means

GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

HB 1383               CONCERNS

HB 1612               CONCERNS

HB 1840               OPPOSE

SB 5282                SUPPORT

SB 5452                CONCERNS

HEARING(S) SCHEDULED

SSB 5282              House Judiciary  House Hearing Room “A” 21 Mar 1: 30 p. m. John L.  O’Brien Office Building

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 <http: //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.

GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “jwaldron@halcyon. com <mailto: jwaldron@halcyon. com>”. Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at “jwaldron@halcyon. com <mailto: jwaldron@halcyon. com>” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.

If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “jwaldron@halcyon. com” <mailto: jwaldron@halcyon. com>with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a lit, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

Puyallup23-24 March

Monroe6-7 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

Copyright 2013 Gun Owners Action League of WA

FROM: GOAL [[email protected]] (Joe Waldron)
TO: undisclosed-recipients
SENT: Fri 3/8/2013 7:45 PM
SUBJECT: GOAL Post 2013-8

GOAL Post 2013-8
Legislative Update from Olympia 8 March 2013

CHAMBER CUT-OFF THIS COMING WEDNESDAY
SSB 5282 PASSES SENATE
LITTLE OVERT ACTIVITY ON BILLS
BACKROOM ACTION
VOTE ON SJM 8006

At 5 p.m. next Wednesday, all bills that have not passed out of their respective chamber (House bills out of the House, Senate bills out of the Senate) will die for the session. Not all bills get a vote. The clock typically runs out on several of them before they reach the chamber floor. Especially bills that are considered controversial, and that leadership doesn’t feel they have sufficient votes to pass (50 “aye” votes in the House, 25 in the Senate) — why waste the chamber’s time when bills are stacked up?

SSB 5282 (Carrell (R-289)) passed the Senate today on a unanimous vote. SSB 5282 requires improved exchange of information between the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and the Washington State Patrol regarding individuals who lost their eligibility to possess a firearm due to some forms of commitment.

Of the other five firearm-related bills we’re still tracking, there has been little visible activity. As they sit in their respective Rules Committee awaiting their turn for a vote, there is frequently back room action taking place. This is the time floor amendments are drafted, often to appease bill opponents and try to muster enough votes for the bill to pass. Recall Senator Feinstein’s statement in a 60 Minutes interview back in 1994 on the Clinton “assault weapon” ban: “If I could have gotten the votes, I’d ban them all.” So as the chamber deadline approaches, there’s a lot of negotiating and arm-twisting going on in the back rooms.
Specifically with regard to SHB 1588, there have been at least two amended versions offered internally, the first in an attempt to appease gun owners, the second backing AWAY from that version when the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) objected. (A side note about WASPC: there are 39 county sheriffs who are members of WASPC, but many times that number of city police chiefs. The police chiefs, who are dependent on mayors and city councils for their jobs, usually drive WASPC’s legislative agenda.)

The principal sticking point with 1588 is record retention — gun registration. Another issue from our standpoint is the provision that would waive the collection of sales tax for private sales conducted via FFLs. That provision was put in a separate section of the bill, making it a prime target for veto by Governor Inslee. (Another side note: Before he was Governor, Jay Inslee was a Congressman representing the 1st Congressional District in the north Seattle suburbs. Before he was the 1st District Congressman, he was Congressman in the 4th Congressional District, central Washington from the Canadian border to the Oregon border. In 1994, Jay Inslee cast a vote FOR the Clinton “assault weapon” ban — by some reports the deciding vote. He was fired by his constituents in the 1994 elections. How do you think Governor Inlsee feels about gun owners?)

Following next Wednesday’s chamber cut-off, the focus shift to the opposite chamber, when House bills go through the Senate and Senate bills through the House. It’s Yogi Berra’s deja vu all over again: policy committee hearings, fiscal committee action if the bill warrants it, then into Rules awaiting a chamber floor vote.

SJM (Senate Joint Memorial) 8006 passed the Senate today on a 40-8 vote. This is the watered down version of SB 5660 that died in committee two weeks ago, It recommends (vice mandates) adoption of the NRA’s “Eddie Eagle” gun avoidance program for young children. Eddie Eagle has been presented to millions of children across the United States and is credited with saving several lives. Amazingly 8 Senators voted AGAINST this bill. A similarly-worded memorial was passed by the legislature UNANIMOUSLY fifteen years ago.

BILL STATUS:

The following bills remain under consideration in the 2013 session
Bill #

Subject

Sponsor

Status
SHB 1096

Juvi illegal firearm possession

Hurst (D-31)

H. Rules
SHB 1383

Stalking protection orders

Goodman (D-45)

H. Rules
SHB 1588

Background checks

Pedersen (D-43)

H. Rules
SHB 1612

Firearm offender registry

Hope (R-44)

H. Rules
SHB 1839

Background checks

Goodman (D-45)

H. Rules
SHB 1840

Firearms/restraining orders

Goodman (D-45)

H. Rules
SSB 5282

DSHS/WSP info exchange

Carrell (R-28)

Passed Senate
SSB 5452

Stalking protection orders

Conway (D-

S. Rules
SB 5831

Bans double tax on clay pigeons

Rivers (R-18)

S. Rules
Key to abbreviations: SB = Senate Bill, HB = House Bill, Jud = Judiciary, L&J = Law & Justice, HS&C = Human Services & Corrections, Trans = Transportation, Approp = Appropriations, Early Learn = Early Learning and K-12 Education, W&M = Ways & Means

GOAL POSITION ON BILLS
HB 1096 CONCERNS
HB 1383 CONCERNS
HB 1588 OPPOSE
HB 1612 CONCERNS
HB 1839 SUPPORT
HB 1840 OPPOSE
SB 5282 SUPPORT
SB 5452 CONCERNS
SB 5831 SUPPORT

HEARING(S) SCHEDULED: None

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.

GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]”. Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at “[email protected]” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.

If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “[email protected]” with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a lit, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Puyallup 23-24 March
Monroe 6-7 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

Copyright 2013 Gun Owners Action League of WA

GOAL Post                                                                                             2013-7

 

Legislative Update from Olympia                                               1 March 2013

 

 

FISCAL COMMITTEE CUT-OFF PASSES

CHAMBER CUT-OFF MARCH 13TH

LIMITED ACTIVITY ON BILLS OF INTEREST

NEW ANTI-GUN GROUP WITH $$$$$

 

Admin note:  the extra “S” in front of some bills (e.g. SHB or SSB) means a substitute bill was passed by the committee.  Substitutes typically are used to amend language in the original bill, frequently based on public testimony.  As you can see in the Bill Status section, few bills pass in their original form.

Today was the last day for bills that had a major fiscal impact to pass out of one of the fiscal committees (Appropriations, Ways & Means, etc).  Three of the nine gun bills still ubder consideration fall into this category.      SHB 1096 and SB 5831 appear to have passed out of their respective fiscal committees today.  SSB 5376 appears to have died in Senate Ways & Means.  (I say “:appears” because on-line posting of bill status has been slower than usual this session.)

All of the bills we are tracking are now resting in their respective Rules Committee, the holding place for bills awaiting a floor vote.  The chamber cut-off is in 12 days, 13 March.  At that time if a bill hasn’t been passed by the original chamber (House or Senate), it is considered dead for the session.  Once a bill passes out of its original chamber, it goes to the other side for the same series of policy committee hearings/action, fiscal committee action if required, and then up for another floor vote.

While awaiting a floor vote, additional amendments may be drafted and offered.  Without doubt such activity is taking place right now with SHB 1588, the universal background check bill.  It will be interesting to see what changes are offered in an attempt to gain enough votes to pass it out of the House.  SSB 5452 moved one step forward in Senate Rules and will likely be voted on early next week.  The other bills have until 13 March.

The Seattle Times this week reported formation of a new “citizens” group to promote gun control in Washington.  Dubbed the “Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility,”  the group appears to be backed by current and former Seattle City Councilcritters, as well as by Seattle fat-cat Ward Hanauer.  Where their money is a coming from is another matter.  Habauer is the initial sugar-daddy, but like the 1997 anti-gun initiative I-676, it’ll likely be Seattle-centered “limousine liberals in tasseled loafers” as the Spokane Spokesman Review called them, or liberal anti-gun foundations using their tax-exempt dollars to attack YOUR rights.  It wouldn’t surprise me to find New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s fingerprints on it as well.

They’ve hired a high-powered lobbyist, their own “hired gun,” Zach Silk, who ran last year’s successful legislative gay marriage lobbying campaign.  Ostensibly created to lobby the legislature to pass “responsible” gun legislation, they’re also threatening a initiative later this year if they can’t coerce Olympia into giving in to their demands.

A similar “citizens group” did the same thing in 1997 — after their pet bill to mandate gun storage failed, they ran an initiative calling for licensing of everyone in Washington who “possessed” a handgun (far broader than “owned”).  Seattle media polling indicated 65% support for the initiative, but a funny thing happened at the only poll that counts: on election day the initiative was defeated 71–29%.

 

 

BILL STATUS:

The following bills remain under consideration in the 2013 session

 

Bill #        Subject                                           Sponsor                       Status

SHB 1096   Juvi illegal firearm possession      Hurst (D-31)          H. Rules

SHB 1383   Stalking protection orders             Goodman (D-45)   H. Rules

SHB 1588  Background checks                        Pedersen (D-43)     H. Rules

SHB 1612   Firearm offender registry              Hope (R-44)          H. Rules

SHB 1839   Background checks                        Goodman (D-45)  H. Rules

SHB 1840   Firearms/restraining orders            Goodman (D-45)  H. Rules

 

SSB 5282   DSHS/WSP info exchange               Carrell (R-28)       S. Rules

SSB 5376   Juvi illegal firearm possession         Kline (D-37)         Died S. W&M

SSB 5452   Stalking protection orders               Conway (D-           S. Rules

SB 5831   Bans double tax on clay pigeons        Rivers (R-18)       S. Rules

Key to abbreviations:  SB = Senate Bill, HB = House Bill, Jud = Judiciary, L&J = Law & Justice, HS&C = Human Services & Corrections, Trans = Transportation, Approp = Appropriations, Early Learn = Early Learning and K-12 Education, W&M = Ways & Means

 

 

GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

 

HB 1096      CONCERNS

HB 1383     CONCERNS

HB 1588     OPPOSE UNLESS AMENDED

HB 1612     CONCERNS

HB 1839     SUPPORT

HB 1840     OPPOSE

 

SB 5282     SUPPORT

SB 5376     CONCERNS

SB 5452     CONCERNS

SB 5831     SUPPORT

 

 

HEARING(S) SCHEDULED

None

 

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.

 

 

GET THE WORD OUT:  If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]“.  Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights.  Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s).  PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL.  I can be reached at “[email protected]” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867.  Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals.  Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.

 

If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “[email protected]” with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line.  I will remove your name immediately.  Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists.  If you received GP via a lit, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

 

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

 

Puyallup             23-24 March

Monroe                 6-7 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

 

 

Copyright 2013 Gun Owners Action League of WA