GOAL Post 2013-15

Legislative Update from Olympia 29 April 2013

SESSION ENDS, NO BUDGET

THREE FIREARM-RELATED BILLS PASS

INSLEE CALLS SPECIAL SESSION, TO BEGIN 13 MAY

FOCUS: BUDGET AND GUNS

GUN CONTROL PRESS CONFERENCE

OBAMA ET AL PROMISE RE-VISIT OF GUN BILL(S)

GOAL POST TO CONTINUE THROUGH SPECIAL SESSION

NRA CONVENTION IN HOUSTON 3-5 MAY

The 2013 Regular Legislative session ended Sunday evening, 28 April without passage of a biennial budget, the principal function of the long session. Both chambers passed budgets, but were far apart in details. The GOP-controlled Senate passed a balanced budget, the House budget called for more than $1 BILLION in tax increases.

Of the more than 30 firearm-related bills filed in the regular session, only three made it out of the legislature to the Governor’s desk. HB 1383, clarifying stalking protection orders, HB 1612, creating a “firearm offender registry” similar to the sex offender registry, and SB 5282, requiring DSHS to provide certain mental health data to the Washington State Patrol. Overall, we got a major pass this session, especially given the environment when it started back in January, exactly a month after the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting.

Governor Inslee has called for a 30-day Special Session to begin on Monday, 13 May. While the governor listed specific issues he wanted addressed in the special session, once they convene the legislature can choose to go anywhere they want. Gun control — background checks as a minimum — are on the governor’s list. How well they’ll do in the special session remains to be seen. In the regular session they couldn’t even agree to pass a bill out of the Democrat-controlled House. The Senate is likely less receptive to the issue. But we won’t know until they convene.

A coalition of gun control advocates and “religious leaders” held a press conference today in downtown Seattle to announce their plan to run an Initiative to the Legislature later this year. The initiative will allegedly focus on universal background checks, but if past history is any indication, that will be their cover for more comprehensive gun control measures (just as today’s Seattle Times article about the conference referred to I-676 as a “trigger lock” initiative — when only one section of 28 in that initiative dealt with trigger locks — it’s called bait & switch). As always, the devil is in the details. I’ll provide more information about the initiative process, and the initiative itself, some time next month after the actual language is filed.

President Obama, Vice President Biden and several Democrat leaders in the U.S. Senate have appeared on television and in other fora since the failed votes on S. 649 ten days ago to commit to reviving the gun control bill and force it through Congress. No schedule has been set at this time, meaning they’re still working in the background to urge Senators to change their votes to support the measures. Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey, co-author of the Manchin-Toomey compromise amendment, says he’s done with the issue and will not pursue another vote. The bill could come back for a vote next week, or next month… or never. But SOME FORM of new and more intrusive gun control is a major goal of the Obama administration.

This would normally be the last regular issue of the GOAL Post until next year’s regular (2014) session. Due to the special session, I will resume publishing GOAL Post after the start of the session in about three weeks.

The NRA annual meetings and convention is being conducted in Houston this weekend, 3-5 May. I’ll be working the Second Amendment Foundation booth (#2955) on the exhibition floor. If you’re attending the convention, stop by and say hello.

BILL STATUS:

The following firearm-related bills remain under consideration in the 2013 session

Bill # Subject Sponsor Status

SHB 1383 Stalking protection orders Goodman (D-45) To Governor

SHB 1612 Firearm offender registry Hope (R-44) To Governor

SSB 5282 DSHS/WSP info exchange Carrell (R-28) To Governor

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 NEUTRAL

HB 1612 CONCERNS

SB 5282 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):

Monroe 4-5 May

Monroe 8-9 June

“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                                                                            2013-14
Legislative Update from Olympia                                                      19 April 2013

 

HAPPY PATRIOTS DAY!

BILLS MOVE, BILLS DIE

GOAL POST DELAYED NEXT WEEK

GUN CONTROL FAILS IN U.S. SENATE — THIS TIME

OBAMA VOWS TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT

SEATTLE ANTI-GUN GROUP THREATENS INITIATIVE — NEXT YEAR

GRASSROOTS TRAINING EVENT 30 APRIL

On a cool spring morning just outside Boston 238 years ago today, events were set in motion that would literally change the world.  Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson best summed it up in his Concord Hymn, the first stanza of which reads:

“By the rude bridge that arched the flood.

Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot heard ’round the world.”

Written nearly a century after the incident, it’s understandable that Emerson got a few of the details wrong.  It wasn’t at the Old North Bridge in Concord that the first shot of the American Revolution was fired, it was six miles away in Lexington, along the road from Boston to Concord, where British (government) troops first encountered armed colonists.  The troops’ mission was to seize stores of gunpowder and shot believed to be held in Concord.  But their first run-in came at tiny Lexington, where militiamen of the local “minute company” (militiamen  ready to respond on a minute’s notice) stood guard on the village green.  The British commander reportedly ordered them to “Disperse, damn ye, ye rebels.”  A single shot rang out, followed by a ragged volley.  The train was set in motion, motion that didn’t end until 1783 and the Treaty of Paris.

That first lone shot was probably fired by a nervous militiaman with his finger on the trigger (in violation of basic firearm safety rules), facing what was at the time the world’s best army.  I would have been nervous, too.  But it serves as a reminder that little events can trigger(!) bigger things and lead us to something no one could have imagined on that sleepy April morning.

As the remainder of this GOAL Post will show, this is the time to keep one’s finger off of the trigger and keep using that pen, keyboard or cellphone to tickle our elected representatives and remind them of their duty.

The legislature is winding down its 2013 regular session.  The second chamber cut-off (House bills out of the Senate, Senate bills out of the House) was two days ago, and now it’s clean-up on the budget and either concurrence votes or conference committees on bills that were amended in the opposite chamber.

HBs 1383 and 1612 and SB 5282 passed the Senate and House respectively, with amendments.  HB 1612 and SB 5282 await a concurrence vote in the chamber of origin or a conference.  Then on to the Governor if concurrence is given.  The House concurred in the Senate changes to HB 1383 and that bill is on its way to the Governor.  (Basically, the other side has to agree on the changes made before a bill can go to the Governor.)

HB 1840 and SB 5452 appear to have died without a respective Senate and House floor vote, as did SB 5865.

Given the historical number of gun bills filed in January, good and bad, we approach the end of the session with almost no forward motion for any of the bills.  Three passed out of 30+ filed.  Given hostile control of the House, that’s a plus in my estimation, although you don’t win wars fighting defense.

The legislative session ends on Sunday, 28 April.  Rather than distribute a GOAL Post next Friday night, followed by a wrap-up a few days later, I’ll just hold off of sending it out until Monday.  At that point the fat lady will have sung, the gavel will have come down, and there will be no surprises.

The big news of the week is the action (or inaction) on S. 649 (“Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act”), Majority Leader Harry Reid’s flagship background check/gun trafficking/school safety bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate.  A total of nine amendments were voted on for S. 649.

Seven of the nine failed, including the Manchin-Toomey compromise background check substitute, the Grassley background check substitute, and amendments to ban assault weapons (Feinstein) and ban magazines (Lautenberg), along with pro-gun amendments to mandate nationwide recognition of CPLs and to ensure veterans receive due process before they are stripped of their gun rights.  Under the rules of the Senate, it took 60 votes to pass an amendment.  Most of the amendments offered fell 2-6 votes short of passage.  Encouraging was the fact that the amendment that fared the worst was Dianne Feinstein’s assault weapon ban, receiving only 40 votes.  One Republican (Mark Kirk of Illinois) voted FOR the Feinstein amendment, 15 Democrats voted against it (of course Washington’s two Senatrixes, Murray and Cantwell voted anti-gun every time).  About 5-6 Senate Democrats, mostly from western, southern or rural states, sides with Republicans to defeat the gun control amendments.

Two amendments did pass Thursday, one that would cut some federal law enforcement grant money to any state that releases sensitive or confidential information on gun owners, and the second to fund additional mental health programs.

Later on Thursday Reid pulled S. 649 from further consideration, likely killing the bill… for the present.  He has promised to bring it back to the floor when he has the votes to pass it.  The Wednesday/Thursday votes were just one battle; the war continues.

President Obama held a televised temper tantrum shortly after Wednesday’s votes on S. 649, calling the NRA’s characterization of some of the bill’s amendments “lies.”  He vowed to continue pressure to promote his gun control agenda, through the use of executive orders where he could (an executive order cannot directly go against a vote of Congress).  Hell hath no fury like a president scorned….

Other gun control fanatics, such as Vice President Joe Biden, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and others, also lost it in their public criticism of the votes on S. 649.  Like the President, all vowed to do whatever it takes to attain their agenda.  There are reports of an advertising campaign planned in the states whose Democrat Senators voted on our side, to pressure the Senators to change their votes.

The newest Seattle-based gun control group, the “Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility.” is also making vows:  to run some form of gun control initiative NEXT year.  Look for the usual Seattleite fat-cats to pour money into the program, just as they did in 1997.  This time around, don’t be surprised if Mayor Bloomberg kicks in a few million — he just threw 12 million for broadcast advertising in selected states to push S. 649.  The mayor is a billionaire with money to burn.

The discussion to date has been on background checks, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see them overreach and throw in a few extra items from the gun grabbers’ wish list.  And that will work to our advantage.   The more trash they put in there, the easier it is to pick apart and defeat.

The Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the Gun Owners Action League are joining with the Leadership Institute to conduct a grassroots training program at the Pierce County Library in Tacoma on Tuesday, 30 April.  The evening event will focus on several topics to include the legislative process, persuasive communications, traditional citizen (grassroots) lobbying and “new generation lobbying” — employing social media and other new methods of outreach.

Cost to attend is $10 and additional information may be obtained from Phil Watson, Special Projects Director at the Second Amendment Foundation, (425) 454-7012.  You may also register directly at https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/Training/register.cfm?ID=22877

BILL STATUS:

Bill #	Subject	Sponsor	Status	Goal Position
SHB 1383	Stalking protection orders	Goodman (D-45)	To Governor	Neutral
SHB 1612	Firearm offender registry	Hope (R-44)	Passed Senate	Concerns
SHB 1840	Firearms/restraining orders	Goodman (D-45)	Died in S. Rules	Support
SSB 5282	DSHS/WSP info exchange	Carrell<(R-28)	Passed House	Support
SSB 5452	Stalking protection orders	Conway (D-29)	Died H. Rules	Neutral
SB 5865	Use tax exemption for non-profits	Roach (R-31)	Died S. Rules	Support

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

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             27-28 April

Monroe                 4-5 May

“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                                                                                    2013-13
Legislative Update from Olympia                                                      12 April 2013

SSB 5282 PASSES HOUSE IN AMENDED FORM

SB 5465 DIES

SECOND CHAMBER CUT-OFF NEXT WEDNESDAY

17 DAYS LEFT IN SESSION

INITIATIVES

MISSOURI CPL FIASCO

S. 649

POLICE-ONE SURVEY — COPS ARE PRO-GUN

GRASSROOTS TRAINING EVENT 30 APRIL

SSB 5282 (State Patrol mental health data base) has passed out of the Senate, but it was amended while there.  If the House concurs in the Senate amendment, it goes to Governor Inslee for his signature.  If the House does NOT concur, it goes to a conference committee for resolution of differences.

SB 5465 (use tax exemption for non-profits) died in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

The remaining bills (HBs 1383, 1612, 1840 and SB 5452) must pass out of their second chamber by next Wednesday.  All four are awaiting a floor vote.

There are 17 days left in the 2013 regular legislative session.  By the State Constitution, the legislature must adjourn no later than midnight, Sunday 28 April.  If necessary, the Governor may call a special session to last no more than 30 days to resolve major issues.

At least one pro-gun initiative has been filed with the Secretary of State.  A second anti-gun initiative may be filed as well.  More on these at the end of the session.

Gun owners in Missouri report a very disturbing development.  In 2011 and again in January of this year, the Social Security Administration asked the state of Missouri to turn over to them the complete listing of individuals with a Missouri concealed carry license.  The reason?  To compare with lists of individuals drawing Social Security Disability payments because of mental illness.  One report claims they also asked for and received biometric identifying data of the licensees.  (Missouri does not issue a separate concealed pistol license, it places an “endorsement” (code) on the driver’s license, although those who don’t want this “mark of Cain” on their d/l’s can get a separate state ID with the endorsement.)

Our own Dave Workman checked with the Department of Licensing in Olympia, who say no such request has been received by Washington.  Maybe not, but it appears Big Brother is spreading his tentacles even further.

I have been told some individuals whose unemployment benefits are running out are applying for SS disability payments due to PTSD related to failed job searches.  That might not be such a smart move if you want to keep your guns!

In the other Washington, an attempt was mounted by Senator Rand Paul (R-TN) and more than a dozen other Republicans to filibuster S. 649 and kill the bill from the outset.  That filibuster failed when 16 Republicans sided with Democrats on a cloture vote (to allow the bill to proceed to debate and amendment).  Two Democrats voted with the remaining 29 Republicans to block the bill.  (I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that both are from rural states and both up for reelection next year.)  In all honesty, the likelihood of a successful filibuster on this bill was slim at best.

From the time of its release in late March, it was clear that S. 649 as filed was in trouble.  NRA-A-rated West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and A-rated Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey to the rescue!  They reportedly got together on Manchin’s yacht, over drinks, to come up with “acceptable” compromise.

While the “compromise language” has yet to be released, rumors and alleged leaks abound.  One section would contain a specific prohibition against using the data collected in background checks for any form of gun registry, but Schumer is reportedly demanding all transfers be processed through a federally-licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and current law requires ALL transfers to be recorded by the dealer.  When dealers go out of business, their records are required to be turned over to the ATF.  Dealer records (ATF Form 4473 and the dealer’s “bound book”) contain a full description of the buyer AND the firearm.  Another section is supposed to require states to recognize ALL other states’ concealed carry licenses (passed last year by the Republican House but ignored by Harry Reid in the Senate), a provision that has gun control advocates and senior law enforcement officials screaming bloody murder.

The cloture vote took place on 11 April, and full debate on the bill will begin on 16 April.  The final Senate vote on S. 649 should come by the end of April.  It’s future in the House is uncertain, but if several Republicans join Democrats to pass it out of the Senate, passage of some form of the bill in the House is likely.

A recent survey of 15,000 active and retired police officers  by PoliceOne.com revealed rank and file law enforcement officers nationwide overwhelmingly SUPPORT licensed concealed carry by private citizens.  But bureaucrats with badges who “lead” police agencies historically bow to their political masters and oppose most pro-gun measures.

The Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the Gun Owners Action League are joining with the Leadership Institute to conduct a grassroots training program at the Pierce County Library in Tacoma on Tuesday, 30 April.  The evening event will focus on several topics to include the legislative process, persuasive communications, traditional citizen (grassroots) lobbying and “new generation lobbying” — employing social media and other new methods of outreach.

Cost to attend is $10 and additional information may be obtained from Phil Watson, Special Projects Director at the Second Amendment Foundation, (425) 454-7012.  You may also register directly at https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/Training/register.cfm?ID=22877

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. Rules	Neutral
SHB 1612	Firearm offender registry	Hope (R-44)	S. Rules	Concerns
SHB 1840	Firearms/restraining orders	Goodman (D-45)	S. Rules	Support
SSB 5282	DSHS/WSP info exchange	Carrell<(R-28)	Passed House	Support
SSB 5452	Stalking protection orders	Conway (D-29)	H. Rules	Neutral
SB 5865	Use tax exemption for non-profits	Roach (R-31)	Died S. W&M	Support

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

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             27-28 April

Monroe                 4-5 May

“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                                                                                          2013-12
Legislative Update from Olympia                                                          5 April 2013

SECOND POLICY COMMITTEE CUT-OFF PASSES

BILLS PASS COMMITTEE

28 DAYS LEFT IN SESSION

UN ATT PASSES

SHOWDOWN ON CAPITOL HILL

GRASSROOTS TRAINING EVENT 30 APRIL

Another milestone passed Wednesday evening with the second chamber policy committee cutoff.  No bills on our tracking list were affected.

Of the six bills still on the list, four (SHBs 1383 and 1840, SSBs 5282 and 5452) are in their respective Rules Committee, awaiting a floor vote.  Two (SHB 1612 and SB 5865) are sitting in Senate Ways & Means for funding approval.  SHB 1840 was amended in Senate Law & Justice to remove offending portions.  There is no reason to oppose the bill at this point.

There are 28 days left in the 2013 regular legislative session.  Per the state constitution, the legislature must adjourn by midnight, Sunday, 28 April, the end of the 105-day long session.

On Tuesday, 2 April, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Arms Trade Treaty (UN ATT) that has been under development for a decade.  Supporters of the treaty continue to claim it will have no impact on gun control within member states and will not infringe on the Second Amendment within the U.S.  The United States voted FOR the treaty, and there is no doubt President Obama will sign it when it is presented to him.  The stumbling block for full U.S. implementation of the treaty’s provisions will be ratification by 2/3 of the U.S. Senate — unlikely at this time (the Senate has yet to vote on ratification of the Inter-American Arms Trade Treaty passed in the 1990s and signed by President Clinton in 1999).

As always, the devil is in the details.  And therein lies the problem.  The treaty in many cases speaks in generalities, addressing various forms of arms control.  There is no doubt that it applies to “small arms” (including “sporting” arms), and there is no doubt it seeks to limit not only INTERNATIONAL trafficking in arms of all kind, but imposing necessary INTERNAL controls to ensure no weapons “leak” into the international market (can you say “Fast & Furious?”).  That covers just about everything a gun control advocate could put on his or her Christmas list:  bans, registration, the whole gun control ball of wax.  One passage 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.”  The treaty also has the potential to restrict U.S. arms support to our allies around the world.

Next week the U.S. Senate will take up S. 649, Majority Leader Harry Reid’s omnibus gun control bill.  While the bill language has been posted on the Congressional web site (www.thomas.loc.gov), the only sure thing is what you see on the Congressional web site right now will not be the version finally voted on at the end of floor action.  I gave a detailed description of the first draft of the bill in last week’s GOAL Post.

Despite sequester-driven cash shortages, President Obama has embarked on a nationwide tour to try and generate public pressure on Senators to pass S. 649.  Sunday evening, 60 Minutes will bring out Newtown/Sandy Hook family survivors in an attempt to generate further support.  The administration is pulling out all the stops to push as restrictive a bill as they can get through the system.

Reportedly Senators Schumer (D-NY) and Manchin (D-WV) and considering watering down the bill to try and get more Republican votes.  Illinois “Republican” Mark Kirk, a long time gun control advocate, has already agreed to vote for the bill, no matter what it contains.  Schumer/Manchin are hoping they can lure maverick Republicans like John McCain (R-AZ) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to roll over as well.

The bottom line is that “universal background checks” is code for “universal gun registration.”  Once the data is collected, the reason for its collection is irrelevant.  They know who you are and what you own.  And while gun registration doesn’t automatically lead to confiscation, it is a necessary precursor to any effective confiscation program  A few years ago, the California Rifle & Pistol Association ran billboards promoting concealed carry with the message, “Society is safer when criminals don’t know who is armed.”  Society is also safer when GOVERNMENT doesn’t know who is armed.

The Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the Gun Owners Action League are joining with the Leadership Institute to conduct a grassroots training program at the Pierce County Library in Tacoma on Tuesday, 30 April.  The evening event will focus on several topics to include the legislative process, persuasive communications, traditional citizen (grassroots) lobbying and “new generation lobbying” — employing social media and other new methods of outreach.

Cost to attend is $10 and additional information may be obtained from Phil Watson, Special Projects Director at the Second Amendment Foundation, (425) 454-7012.  You may also register directly at https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/Training/register.cfm?ID=22877

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. W&M	Concerns
SHB 1840	Firearms/restraining orders	Goodman (D-45)	S. Rules	Support
SSB 5282	DSHS/WSP info exchange	Carrell<(R-28)	H. Rules	Support
SSB 5452	Stalking protection orders	Conway (D-29)	H. Rules	Concerns
SB 5865	Use tax exemption for non-profits	Roach (R-31)	S. W&M	Support

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

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.