Gun Owners Action League of Washington

Category: Legislative Update

  • GOAL Post 2014-1

    GOAL Post                                                                                             2014-1
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                                           10 January 2014

    LEGISLATURE CONVENES MONDAY, 13 JANUARY

    HANDFUL OF NEW MEMBERS IN EACH CHAMBER

    POSSIBLE ELECTION YEAR INFLUENCE ON LEGISLATION

    29 BILLS HELD OVER FROM 2013 SESSION

    TWO NEW PRE-FILED BILLS

    INITIATIVES

    LEGISLATIVE TUTORIAL

    LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR

    LEGISLATOR DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBERS

    LATE PUBLICATION NEXT WEEK

    The second regular session of the 63rd (biennial) Washington state legislature convenes Monday, January 13th for its short (60 day) session.  Control of the legislature remains split, with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives with 55 seats, while the minority Republicans have 43.  From a gun owners perspective, this view is skewed by the f act that a small handful of Democrats side solidly with gun owners on those issues.  The Senate remains controlled by a Majority Coalition of 24 Republicans and two Democrats.  From a standpoint of stopping bad bills, we should be all right, but it will be difficult to move pro-gun legislation forward.

    Due to resignations and “promotions” (elections to higher or other office), there are six new faces in the House and six in the Senate.  The ones with the greatest potential impact on gun owners are election of Jan Angel (R-26) to the Senate, giving the Majority Coalition 26-23 control, and Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-27) taking over House Judiciary from now-Senator Jamie Pedersen (D-43).  Jinkins’ background is in public health issues, so I don’t expect any change in philosophy in House Judiciary.  Senator Adam Kline (D-37) has announced he will not run for reelection this year, but he will be with us for this session.

    Mid-term elections will be conducted in November.  To a limited degree, that might influence how elected officials vote on controversial issues.  (Guns?  Controversial?  Nah, it’s clearly protected in BOTH federal and state constitutions… but apparently some people can’t read.)

    As this is the second year of the biennium, bills that were filed last year and not passed by the legislature remain available for consideration.  29 firearm-related bills, good and bad, from 2013 are still in the hopper (see list below).  In addition, two additional gun-related bills were pre-filed before the session started.  HB 2164, by Rep. Tina Orwall, would require juveniles adjudicated or convicted of firearm possession offenses participate in “aggression replacement training, “family therapy” or some other approved therapy sessions, and SB 5956 by Sen. Brian Hatfield (D-19) would reopen the door to legal possession of short-barreled rifles.

    The “battle of the initiatives” is about to formally kick off later this month.  I-594 backers turned in approximately 345,000 signatures, well over the 246,000 needed for consideration.  I-591 backers (Protect our Gun Rights) turned in about 349,000 signatures.  The signature petitions must be validated by the Secretary of State before they are officially presented to the legislature.  That process is expected to take about two weeks.  Interesting, in their public statement on the initiatives, the Secretary of State’s office referred to I-594 as a “gun control” measure and to I-591 as a “gun-related” measure (an accurate characterization as I-591 PROTECTS gun rights and limits background checks to those required by federal law).  I-594 broadly expands the requirement for background checks on ALL firearm transfers, retail and private, to include loans of guns in many cases.  I-594 would also prevent gun safety classes being given outside recognized shooting ranges (such as those classes conducted at WAC gun shows).  More on these later.

    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 Judiciary Committee in the Senate.  In the House it’s a little more complicated, as it may be sent to House Judiciary, House Public Safety, or House Juvenile Justice.  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, it then goes over to the opposite chamber (House or Senate), where the whole process starts over 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 her (or 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.  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 2009 session in the next issue of GOAL Post.

    The Democrat caucus has extended its reach from urban and suburban areas to rural areas.  In these districts, the enthusiasm for gun control is diluted.  If the Democrats expect to hold these rural districts in the next election, they will have to tread carefully on the gun issue.  If you live in a rural or even suburban district with Democrat Representatives or a Democrat Senator, it is important that you call their office and express concern about your gun rights.  Ask them to keep you informed of any gun-related legislation.  This lets them know that you are watching them on this issue.

    The Legislature has not yet published new telephone and office directories because legislators are not sworn in until Monday, 13 January.  The following links can be used at that time to identify direct contact information:

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

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

    I’ll be attending the annual SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trades) trade show 14-17 January and won’t return until the 18th (Saturday).  I’ll probably get the next GOAL Post out Saturday night or Sunday.

    BILL STATUS:

    The following 28 bills filed in 2013 remain under consideration in the 2014 session:

    Bill #

    Subject

    Sponsor

    Status

    GOAL Position
    HB 1096 Juvi illegal firearm possession Hurst (D-31) H. Rules Concerns
    HB 1147 1st degree juvenile unlawful possession Goodman (D-45) H. Jud Concerns
    HB 1184 Range protection Takko (D-19) H. Jud Support
    HB 1318 CPL renewal notice Taylor (R-15) H. Jud Support
    HB 1371 WA Firearms Freedom Act Taylor (R-15) H.Jud Support
    HB 1561 Short barreled rifles Blake (D-19) H. Jud Support
    SHB 1588 Background checks Pedersen (D-43) H. Rules Oppose
    HB 1612 Concerns
    HB 1676 Mandatory safe storage Kagi (D-32) H. Jud Oppose
    HB 1703 Gun “safety” training and tax Jinkins (D-27)  H. Jud Oppose
    HB 1729 Street gangs Warnick (R-13) H. Jud Support
    HB 1788 Firearms/school employees Pike (R-18)  H. Jud Support
    SHB 1839 Background checks Goodman (D-45) H. Rules Support
    HB 1840 Firearms/restraining orders Goodman (D-45) H. Rules Oppose
    HB 1908 Firearms on school property Scott (R-39)  H. Jud Support
    HB 2020 Firearms-related jobs Shea (R-4) H. Jud Support
    HB 2164 Juvenile firearm possession Orwall (D-33) H. Jud Evaluating
    SB 5376 Juvenile illegal firearm possession Kline (D-37)  S. W&M Concerns
    SSB 5452 Stalking protection orders Conway (D-29) S. Rules Concerns
    SB 5478 Firearms/mental health court Keiser (D-33) S. L&J Concerns
    SB 5479 Safekeeping of firearms Keiser (D-33)  S. L&J Oppose
    SB 5485 Mandatory safe storage Kline (D-37)  S. L&J Oppose
    SB 5604 NRA license plates Hatfield (D-19)  S. Trans Neutral
    HB 5625 Background checks Kline (D-37)  S. L&J Oppose
    SB 5635 Restoration of firearm rights Kline (D-37)  S. L&J Oppose
    SB 5660 Firearm safety education Chase (D-32)  S. K-12 Support
    SB 5710 Mandatory safe storage Kohl-Welles (D-46)  S. L&J Oppose
    SB 5711 Background checks Kline (D-37)  S. L&J Oppose
    SB 5737 Ban on sale of “assault weapons” Murray (D-43) S. L&J Oppose
    SB 5739 Ban on guns in parks Murray (D-43) S. L&J Oppose
    SB 5831 Prohibits double tax on clay pigeons Rivers (R-18) S. Rules Support
    SB 5956 Short-barreled rifles Hatfield (D-19) S. L&J Support

    Key to abbreviations:  S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary, K-12 = Education, L&J = Law & Justice, Trans = Transportation, W&M = Ways and Means

    HEARING SCHEDULED:

    14 January       HB 2164          House Judiciary Committee
    1:30 p.m.                               House Hearing Room “A”
    John L. O’Brien Bldg (JLOB)

    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]” or 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.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Monroe                  11-12 January

    Puyallup                18-19 January

    “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 2009 Gun Owners Action League of WA

    Support the I-591 campaign!  Donate now at: www.wagunrights.org

  • GOAL Post 2013-UPDATE 3

    GOAL Post                                                                             2013-UPDATE 3
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                               17 October 2013

    KERRY SIGNS UN ARMS TRADE TREATY

    BI-PARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES OPPOSE

    LEGISLATIVE “WORK SESSION” ON BACKGROUND CHECKS

    CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE GOES HOG WILD FOR GUN CONTROL

    COLORADO RECALLS SENATORS FOR ANTI-GUN VOTES

    INITIATIVES

    GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM TRAINING EVENTS

    On 25 September, United States Secretary of State John Kerry signed the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, making the United States the 113th country to sign. However, at this time only seven countries have actually ratified the treaty (not all countries require ratification, especially those countries that are effectively dictatorships). At this point, the United States is a l-o-n-g way from ratification. Sooner or later, Senate Majority Leader Harry “Friend of the NRA” Reid will undoubtedly push for a ratification vote, but there are far too many other controversial issues facing the Senate right now.

    Bi-partisan groups of 51 U.S. Senators and 101 Representatives sent separate letters to President Obama opposing the UN ATT. While ratification by the Senate is unlikely, there is something to keep in mind: the Constitution requires approval of 2/3 of Senators to ratify a treaty. This DOES NOT necessarily mean 67 Senators. The Constitution says “2/3 of Senators PRESENT” when a vote is taken. A case of a Republican-only flu or similar legislative shenanigans could put us at risk. Would Harry Reid do that?

    On Thursday, 3 October, the Washington state House Judiciary Committee conducted a “legislative work session” on firearm background checks. This was not a public hearing, but an internal workshop intended to provide information to lawmakers on the tops of the session. Of the 13 members of the House Judiciary Committee, only five members attended the session — all Democrats. In addition to state employees from the Washington State Patrol, the Department of Licensing, the Department of Social and Health Services, and Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza testifying, input was taken from a Special Agent from the Seattle Office of the ATF and two representatives of the gun community: myself and a Federal Firearms Licensee from Vancouver.

    While the session was supposed to inform legislators about how the current background system works, most of the testimony from the state employees sounded like it was a budget development session, with several complaints about inadequate staffing, inadequate funding, inadequate time to conduct background checks, etc. (And gun control advocates want to EXPAND the background check requirement EXPONENTIALLY by requiring background checks on ALL firearm transfers (including loans)?

    DSHS recommended expanding the current mental health prohibition to include individuals put on a 72-hour mental health “hold” for evaluation. ABSOLUTELY NOT. Haven’t they heard about fundamental Constitutional rights and due process?

    There was brief discussion of extending the state handgun background check process (separate white form, etc) to long guns. No one was hot for the idea, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come up in January!

    The sole FFL present had very little to say.

    I covered gun show procedures, both as conducted by the Washington Arms Collectors and commercial gun shows, then spent time addressing other background check-related issues, as well as answering questions posed by the Representatives present.

    Overall, it wasn’t much of an “educational” session. Again, the focus was supposed to be on the CURRENT system, not an examination of future proposals (such as I-594). The session was aired live by TVWashington, and is available from their archives at http://tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2013100061

    During its 2013 session, the Democrat-dominated California legislature passed at least 11 gun control bills. Given the demographics in the Golden State, that is likely all we can expect from Sacramento as long as our republic lasts. To his credit, Governor Jerry “Governor Moonbeam” Brown (D) only signed four of the bills into law. He vetoed the remaining SEVEN.

    Bills that are now law in the State of California include those prohibiting the use of lead ammunition for hunting (!), expanding the child access prevention (CAP) law (i.e. “lock up your safety” adding full civil liability for parents/guardians, banning the sale of parts or repair kits that could be used to build a magazine with a capacity of greater than ten rounds, and finally, expanding the current requirement for a buyer to obtain a “handgun safety certificate” to buy a handgun to long gun firearm transfers as well.

    Brown vetoed bills expanding and adding new registration fees to semi-automatic “assault weapons” not previously covered as well as banning future sale/transfer, further restricting the sale of handguns not on the official “Attorney General’s approved handgun list” (almost all older handguns), effectively repealing California’s existing already-less-than-perfect state preemption law, making it a crime to fail to report to police a stolen firearm, banning gun shows at the Cow Palace (a hot issue in San Francisco), banning certain non-traditional shotguns, and lastly, expanding the list of persons prohibited from possessing a firearm to include anyone convicted of DUI Of a motor vehicle or boat.

    As sure as death and taxes, most of those bills will be back before the governor in the future.

    Colorado is another state where Democrat-dominated politics resulted in passage of restrictive gun control laws this year, including a ban on normal capacity magazines. Colorado gun owners did not take this sitting down. They ran recalls on two of the leading state Senators involved in the gun control feeding frenzy: Senate President John Morse and Senator Angela Giron. The recall petition drives were successful AND the recall elections themselves were successful by strong margins. Both long-term state Senators are now drawing unemployment. The Democrats now hold only a one-seat majority in the state Senate, 18 to 17, and gun owners have initiated a THIRD recall election for another gun-grabbing Senator.

    The success of the Colorado recalls has sent signals throughout the western states and perhaps nationwide about what can happen to elected officials who demonstrate a willingness to deny fundamental rights. Meanwhile USA Today reported that pro-gun-control Democrat Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper is urging outside gun control groups (such as soon-to-be-unemployed Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns) to STAY OUT OF COLORADO. Bloomberg contributed $350,000 to Morse and Giron, money thrown down the tube.

    Both pro-gun I-591 and anti-gun I-594 are moving forward. The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility says it turned in 150,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State a short time ago. They’re now collecting additional signatures to ensure they have a margin of safety for the 246,000 VALID signatures needed to get the initiative before the legislature in January. I-591, too, is close to the necessary amount of signatures needed to move forward. They should be turning over signatures in the near future.

    I expect BOTH initiatives will be certified by the Secretary of State and move over to the legislature for action during the 2014 regular session, which begins in mid-January. It is up to the legislature to pass either or both, to ignore either or both, or to pass an amended version of either of the initiatives. 2014 is an election year, so I expect at this time that the legislature will punt, and kick BOTH initiatives to a vote of the people in November 2014. That means another major campaign during 2014 to ensure we prevail on election day.

    While we’re discussing initiatives, two “grassroots campaign workshops” will be conducted in Western Washington this weekend. These political action workshops run 8 hours and cover different material than the previous meeting in Tacoma.

    This Grassroots Campaign Workshop teaches you how to manage or contribute to a winning campaign, advocacy organization, or legislative initiative. Ideal attendees are campaign staff, candidates, activists, or groups interested in working on ballot initiatives, propositions, or legislation.

    Topics to be covered include developing a persuasive message, building grassroots infrastructure, recruiting and managing volunteers, getting voters to the polls, building strong coalitions and targeting voters with a specific message.

    The workshops will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday — this weekend. Saturday’s event is at the Silverdale Beach Hotel, 3073 NW Bucklin Hill Rd, Silverdale, WA. On Sunday, the event goes down at Picasso Catering, 3822 S. Union Ave Suite D, Tacoma, WA. Both events run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    For the Silverdale event, contact http://leadershipinstitute.org/training/school.cfm?SchoolID=23984

    For the Tacoma event, contact http://leadershipinstitute.org/training/school.cfm?SchoolID=23987

    Registration: $25.00 + breakfast and lunch will be offered at the training for $10.00 total.

    Downloadable event flyers and agendas are also on the RSVP links.

    BILL STATUS, BILL POSITION and PUBLIC HEARING SECTIONS DELETED UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE RESUMES ACTION.

    GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]”or 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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Monroe 2-3 November

    Puyallup 23-24 November

    “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 – SPECIAL 8

    GOAL Post                                                                                              2013-SPECIAL 8
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                                                        5 July 2013

    LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS, BUDGET PASSED

    GOAL POST TO CONTINUE

    INITIATIVE UPDATES

    LAWSUITS FILED CHALLENGING BALLOT DESCRIPTION

    SUPRYNOWICZ ON BACKGROUND CHECKS

    PETITION AVAILABLE — DONATIONS NEEDED

    The legislature adjourned its second special session earlier this week when both chambers adopted what is essentially a balanced budget.  The governor has signed the budget.  No gun bills were considered during either special session.

    Normally I would cease publishing GOAL Post until the start of the regular legislative session next January.  Given the ongoing signature gathering activity with both pro- (I-591) and anti-gun (I-594) initiatives under way, and potential developments in Congress with both S. 649 and the pending UN Arms Trade Treaty, I will publish periodic updates for the remainder of the year, probably on an “as occurs” basis.

    As reported last week, Protect Our Gun Right/Yes on I-591 had its kickoff event at the WAC gun show in Puyallup two weeks ago.  Thousands of signatures were gathered by show attendees and petitions handed out to volunteer signature gatherers.

    Two Washington attorneys, one from Everett and one from Vancouver,  have filed separate lawsuits challenging the ballot title and ballot description assigned to I-594 by the Secretary of State.  Both claim the title and description given fail to correctly address the impact of the extremist anti-gun initiative.  Both were filed in Thurston County and a Thurston County Superior Court judge will determine the final language of the ballot title and description.

    Author and columnist Vin Suprynowicz has published an item of direct impact on the background check issue.  You can find it at  http://www.vinsuprynowicz.com/?p=1751#more-1751

    Blank petitions for I-591 are available at http://wagunrights.com/.  At that web site you can also sign up for e-mail alerts and make contributions direct to Protect Our Gun Rights.  While the founding member organizations of Protect Our Gun Rights have made significant contributions to fund the program already, it is important that individual citizens and organizations or clubs also contribute to demonstrate true grassroots support for the initiative.  During the debate over I-676 back in 1997, more than 90% of the money flowing to the anti-gun effort came from within a 25-mile radius of Seattle — limousine liberals in tasseled loafers as they were characterized in an editorial in the Spokane Spokesman Review.  Contributions to the No on 676 effort came from all over Washington — east and west, rural and urban, a classic grassroots program.

    BILL STATUS, BILL POSITION and PUBLIC HEARING SECTIONS DELETED UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE RESUMES ACTION.

    GET THE WORD OUT:  If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]“or 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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Monroe                 13-14 July
    Puyallup                3-4 August

    “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-SPECIAL 7

    GOAL Post                                                                             2013-SPECIAL 7
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                                  28 June 2013

    BUDGET AGREEMENT REACHED?

    I-591 OPENER AT WAC SHOW A SUCCESS

    HAVE YOU SIGNED THE PETITION YET?

    ANOTHER 1984 MOMENT

    The buzz in Olympia Thursday afternoon is that a deal was reached on the operating budget, thus averting a state government shutdown.  Unfortunately the vote won’t be taken until sometime Friday, and I’m due to hit the road Friday noon for Orlando and the quarterly board meeting of the Florida Sport Shooting Association.  Rather than trusting a hotel internet connection to send out GOAL Post, I’m hitting the “send” button before I leave home.

    As with last week, there has been no action on or interest shown in gun bills during the second special session.  Apparently they’re waiting to see what happens with the upcoming initiatives.

    On the initiative front, the campaign kick-off for pro-gun Initiative 591, conducted at last weekend’s WAC gun show in Puyallup was a success by all measures.  The initial count indicates over 2,000 signatures were gathered over the weekend.

    The Protect Our Gun Rights PAC has been registered with the Public Disclosure System and in addition to signature gathering efforts, fund raising can now also begin.  Unlike the fifteen-page monstrosity that is anti-gun I-594, I-591 is a clean and simple single page.  All that needs to be said is said on that one page.

    Further information on I-591, to include a request for blank petitions and a link to the donation page, may be found at http://protectourgunrights.net/   Six months may sound like a long time to gather signatures, but January 2014 is just around the corner.

    Federal agencies strike again.  The latest is the ATF putting out a Request for Proposal for a data repository system that will not only list persons of interest to that agency, it will also automatically search social networks and other data bases to link that person to other people known by the person.  Part of the RFP reads the database should “obtain exact matches from partial source data searches” such as complete or partial social security numbers, vehicle serial codes, age range, phonetic name spelling, and related geographic addresses.

    So much for, “If you haven’t done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear.”  Are you sure all your friends and acquaintances are as squeaky clean as you?

    All this to help us and make us safer.  And if you can’t trust the government, in his own words President Obama said he has an issue with you.  ATF is prohibited by law from creating any form of gun registry, so that should make you feel better.  They wouldn’t violate that law, would they?

    BILL STATUS:

    All bills filed in during the regular session are available and may be acted upon.  At this time there are no new gun bills, nor has there been any action on bills previously filed.

    GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

    No active gun bills at this time

    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]“or 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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Monroe                 13-14 July

    Puyallup                3-4 August

     

    “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-SPECIAL 6

    GOAL Post                                                                              2013-SPECIAL 6
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                                21 June 2013

    SECOND SPECIAL SESSION STARTS

    DEMOCRATS THREATEN GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN

    PRO-GUN COALITION FORMS

    BIDEN BLUSTERS

    BUNDESAMT fur VERFASSUNGSSCHUTZ (BfV)

    Ten days into the second special session, same as the first. Still basically the same deadlock on the budget. The Democrat-controlled House demanding more taxes, the Majority Coalition-led Senate (23 Republicans, two Democrats) sticking with its balanced budget. Some Democrat officials (Governor Inslee?) have hinted at the possibility of a government shutdown on June 30th, the end of the current fiscal biennium. Given that emergency services should remain (my understanding), a shutdown might not be a bad thing.

    No action on firearms. At least, in the legislature.

    Back in 1997, when we were threatened with anti-gun Initiative 676 — I-676 — a coalition was formed to oppose the initiative, opposition that resulted in a resounding success when the initiative failed with a 71-29% vote of the people. The WeCARE (Washington Citizens Against Regulatory Excess) coalition consisted of national gun rights groups (National Rifle Association and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms) and state groups (Washington Arms Collectors, the Washington State Rifle & Pistol Association and the Gun Owners Action League of Washington).

    Protect Our Gun Rights (POGR) is the new coalition formed to support pro-gun Initiative 591 to offer it as a reasonable alternative to I-594, the extremist anti-gun initiative filed by the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility (WAGR). Current POGR members are CCRKBA, WAC and GOAL. Other organizations are expected to join.

    The Protect Our Gun Rights web site is at http://protectourgunrights.net/

    Here’s a link to both initiatives:

    http://sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/initiatives/FinalText_471.pdf

    http://sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/initiatives/FinalText_483.pdf

    The ballot title and description for I-594 have yet to be issued.

    On Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden held a gun control dog-and-pony show in the White House while the President was in Europe schmoozing with Vladimir Putin and missing the adoring crowd in Berlin. Biden bragged about the progress made with President Obama’s “23 executive actions” on guns (most purely administrative), blustered about alleged forward motion in the Senate on the various gun bills and amendments offered two months ago (but notice Majority Leader Reid hasn’t scheduled another vote) and threatened Senators who paid more attention to their constituents than to the Obama gun agenda.

    (WARNING: More Waldron editorializing, non-partisan in nature.)

    In my previous life I had the privilege of working with several allied organizations and agencies with a similar mission of counterterrorism (before terrorism was cool, just individual assassinations, kidnappings, rocket attacks, bombings, etc). Among them was the BfV, the Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz, West Germany’s national counterintelligence organization. Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz translates to “Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

    Think about that title for a minute: Office for the Protection of the Constitution. What a novel concept! I don’t know how faithful the BfV is to its title, but maybe some organizations in this country might want to look at the concept.

    BILL STATUS: All bills filed in during the regular session are available and may be acted upon. At this time there are no new gun bills, nor has there been any action on bills previously filed.

    GOAL POSITION ON BILLS: No active gun bills at this time

    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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    · Puyallup 22-23 June

    · Monroe 13-14 July

    “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-SPECIAL 5

    GOAL Post                                                                              2013-SPECIAL 5
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                                14 June 2013

    FIRST SPECIAL SESSION ENDS IN BUDGET STALEMATE

    SECOND SPECIAL SESSION STARTED NEXT DAY

    BACKGROUND CHECK INITIATIVE FILED

    BIDEN WHITE HOUSE GUN CONTROL GALA

    ASSAULTED:  CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER FIRE

    SCANDAL OF THE WEEK      (EPA)

    THE REAL ISSUE

    The first special session of the legislature adjourned on Monday without having reached agreement on a biennial budget.  A second special session was called by the governor, which began on Wednesday.  According to the governor, it’s all the fault of the Republican-dominated Majority Coalition in the State Senate, and Democrats are threatening a government shutdown if the Majority Coalition/Republicans don’t agree to raise taxes.

    Between the legislative gridlock and the filing of the new gun registration/background check initiative, I don’t expect them to tackle the gun issue during this session.  But eternal vigilance remains the price of liberty.

    The big news on the gun front is the “Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility” on Monday filing their background check initiative.  As an Initiative to the Legislature, they have until the next regular legislative session in January 2014 to gather the nearly 250,000 valid signatures needed to put the initiative before the legislature.  In the 2014 session, the legislature then gets three options:  pass the initiative into law, ignore it, or pass another bill on the same topic.  In the latter two cases it goes to the people for a vote in November 2014.

    Nearly $1 MILLION has reported already been pledged by Seattle fat-cats to push the initiative through.  A representative of  Michael Bloomberg’s “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” attended their opening fund-raiser and pledged support from that group.  (This is the same Michael Bloomberg who coerced the government of Bermuda to allow HIS bodyguards to enter the island country carrying guns… even though Bermudan police don’t carry guns.  Gun prohibitions are for little people, not the elite.  Bloomberg bought the New York City mayoralty, now he wants to buy gun control in Washington.)

    Beyond the de facto gun registration that comes with any universal background check system, another big issue with this initiative is the fact that it imposes a “ten business day” (fourteen calendar days) wait in the event of a “delay” response from NICS.  Under current federal law, a dealer may deliver a firearm to a purchaser if three days elapse from the original “delay” response.  This initiative extends that to almost two weeks.  Among other things, it could have a major impact on gun shows, as well as open the door to a firearms transfer “freeze” by shutting NICS down.

    This one is going to be with us for a long time.  If we are going to prevail, IT WILL BE THROUGH GRASSROOTS ACTION.  I’ll report more as the initiative moves through the process, being assigned a number, ballot title, ballot description, etc.   And more as the gun rights community organizes to defeat it.

    Vice President Joe Biden is conducting a gun control event at the White House next Tuesday.  Details of the event, to include attendees/invitees, has yet to be released.  Without doubt there will be families from Newtown, Connecticut, and other survivors of “gun violence.”  This is another opportunity for Obama and his media allies to use the White House bully pulpit to push for more gun control — gun control that would NOT have prevented the Newtown incident nor most other shootings.  But let’s not confuse the public with facts.

    The documentary film, “Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire, will begin a limited showing on Thursday, June 20th, at the AMC Loews Alderwood Mall 16, 18733  33rd Ave W, Lynnwood, WA.  It runs 79 minutes in length and is narrated by Law & Order: SVU star Ice-T (one of the rare pro-gun Hollywood types).  It addresses the evolution of  the Second amendment and the continuing assaults on it by the Hollywood elite.  The trailer can be found at http://deadpatriotfilms.com/#

    The latest scandal to hit Capitol Hill is the revelation of the release of farmers’ personal data to environmental extremist groups.  This was acknowledged by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in correspondence with elected officials from mid-western states.  EPA says it “retrieved the data” from the groups involved… was that BEFORE or AFTER they copied the data?  One more case of a government agency collecting data for legitimate purpoises, then misusing that data for political ends.

    Here’s where I alienate some readers.  The news media this week has been jammed with talk of the D.C. scandals, mostly focused on cellphone and internet data collection by various elements of the intelligence community.  (Disclaimer: I spent most of my Marine Corps career in the intelligence business, including time at the National Cryptologic School at Fort Meade, MD.)

    The ABILITY of the nation’s intelligence community to collect such data should come as no surprise to anyone who has outgrown belief in the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.  (Santa Claus is a separate issue:  too many people look to Uncle Sam as Santa Claus.)   If we did NOT collect that data, and as a result some horrific terrorist — or any other — attack were to occur undetected, you’d be screaming “intelligence failure.”  So recognize that in the real world, this data is subject to collection.  And subject to oversight.

    In fact, there is all kinds of private data about YOU in all kinds of data bases, private, business and government.  Medical information, school grades, tax data, purchase patterns… the list goes on and on.  That’s the kind of world we live in today.  Commercial interests have developed data mining to an art — an art that may even be used to push you in directions profitable to those interests.  And I haven’t even mentioned drones!

    What you SHOULD be outraged about is an administration that intentionally USES that data to achieve a political goal.  The data collected, of whatever nature, is held in a form of trust, trust that it will only be used for the legitimate purpose for which it was collected.  If NSA were to intercept some form of communication about a planned terrorist attack, it would help immeasurably to be able to search PAST communications from that source to identify linkages.  The ability to go BACK in time may be critical in preventing a FUTURE attack.

    But the only time that search for, or use of, collected data should take place is when you have probable cause that a crime is being planned/committed, and the intelligence community is in a form of hot investigative pursuit.  .

    Some readers will be outraged by that perspective, I am sure.  But having been “in the business,” I readily accept the value of COLLECTING the data, with the caveat that it is not further accessed without probable cause.  And the law should be amended to include SEVERE PENALTIES for any such misuse.

    The purpose of GOAL Post is to inform subscribers on issues dealing with the lawful acquisition, possession and use of firearms, primarily from a legislative perspective.  The fact that the current administration has demonstrated the willingness to use private data for political purposes is becoming more obvious as time goes by.  Such a pattern of activity bodes ill for gun owners as it does for all Americans.  I will refrain from addressing future such activities unless a linkage to the gun issue is clear — such as the ATF’s role in gun trafficking to Mexico as part of the Fast & Furious debacle.

    BILL STATUS:

    All bills filed in during the regular session are available and may be acted upon.  At this time there are no new gun bills, nor has there been any action on bills previously filed.

    GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

    No active gun bills at this time

    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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Puyallup               22-23 June

    Monroe                13-14 July

     

    “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-SPECIAL 4

    GOAL Post                                                                            2013-SPECIAL 4

    Legislative Update from Olympia                                              7 June 2013

    FOUR DAYS LEFT IN SPECIAL SESSION

    REP. STEVE O’BAN REPLACES SENATOR MIKE CARRELL

    SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF JOHN LOVICK APPOINTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE

    NJ SENATOR FRANK LAUTENBERG PASSES

    BIDEN, REID, MANCHIN MEET ON S. 649

    UN ATT – 71 COUNTRIES SIGNED SO FAR

    SCANDAL(S) OF THE WEEK

    There are four days left in the 30-day special legislative session.  At this point the focus remains on closing the gap between the House and Senate budget offerings.  The House passed a few bills this week, mostly affecting education budgets.

    Freshman Representative Steve O’Ban (R-28-Lakewood) was selected by the Pierce County Council to replace Senator Mike Carrel, also of Lakewood.  That restores the 25-24 balance for the Majority Coalition in the state Senate.  The County Council will now choose a House replacement for O’Ban, but that appointment is less critical as it has no impact on the Democrat majority in the House (55D-43R).

    Former State Representative and later Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick was sworn in on Monday to replace disgraced Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon.  Both are Democrats.  Representative/Sheriff Lovick was no particular friend of gun owners, but his office door was always open and he would rationally discuss gun-related issues.  John is a gentleman.  For the record, he is also a 30+ year Washington State Trooper, now retired.

    Undersheriff Tom Davis will fill in until the County Council appoints a replacement, who must stand for election in 2014.  While the sheriff’s position is non-partisan, the incumbents attitude on guns could influence the County Council, among others.

    Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ,) author of the 1996 “domestic violence misdemeanor” gun ban and most recently of the failed magazine ban amendment to S.649, passed away earlier this week of viral pneumonia.  He was 89.  NJ Republican Governor Chris Christie has set a date for a special election, and in the interim has appointed NJ Attorney General (and Republican) Jeffrey Chiesa as Lautenberg’s temporary replacement.  Reportedly Chiesa is equally anti-gun.

    Vice President Biden and Senators Harry Reid and Joe Manchin reportedly met behind closed doors this week to strategize about passage of S. 649, the omnibus Senate gun control bill.  No further information as to what was discussed is available at this time.

    71 nations have now signed the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (UN ATT).  Earlier this week the White House announced President Obama will sign the treaty in August during the summer Congressional recess, usually a slow season from a political perspective.  It appears he is trying to stretch out his controversies!  A complete list of the countries that have signed the treaty can be found at  http://www.un.org/disarmament/ATT/

    Two new scandals have erupted this week.  A British newspaper revealed the existence of a FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court order directing Verizon Wireless to turn over to the National Security Agency all “metadata” (externals of wireless communications: telephone numbers, subscribers’ names, duration and location of call, etc).  If they’re getting it from Verizon, they’re getting it from all the other providers as well.  That was followed by a report from another British newspaper about the existence of an alleged top secret program called “PRISM,” where NSA is supposed to have back door access to Google, Facebook and a host of other internet media programs.

    The initial Obama administration response was something to the effect that “it started in the Bush years” as a response to 9/11.  Apparently true.  But all of these programs have been continued by the Obama administration, as the President himself acknowledged at a presentation in California today.  He called it an acceptable balance between security and personal privacy.  I believe Benjamin Franklin had the proper response to that one more than 200 years ago.  “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

    I’m not going to get into this in any detailed way.  ANY time you post something, or search for something, on the internet, it crosses many lines.  Internet privacy is nonexistent.  And cellphones are RADIOS.  If it goes out over the air, it can be intercepted.

    But I do see one major difference between what went on in the Bush years and what has been happening here since Obama took office.  There is no record that the Bush administration used non-partisan government agencies for partisan political purposes.  It’s clear now that Obama & Co used the IRS to target political opponents.  Congress is still attempting to determine the degree — and source — of that abuse.  The question is, what else has the current administration used/abused in the name of partisan politics?, what else have they used/abused?

    BILL STATUS:

    All bills filed in during the regular session are available and may be acted upon.  At this time there are no new gun bills, nor has there been any action on bills previously filed.

    GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

    No active gun bills at this time

    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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Monroe                 8-9 June

    Puyallup               22-23 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-SPECIAL 3

    GOAL Post                                                                             2013-SPECIAL 3
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                               31 May  2013

    SENATOR MIKE CARRELL (R-28) PASSES

    LOSS SPLITS SENATE 24-24

    STILL NO FOCUS ON GUNS — YET

    GUN CONTROL INITIATIVE FUNDING GETS A BOOST

    SCANDALS DISTRACT ANTIS IN D.C.

    UN RELEASES ATT FOR SIGNATURE/RATIFICATION

    TECH ACTIVIST CONFERENCE IN BELLEVUE TOMORROW

    On Wednesday of this week Washington gun owners lost one of our closest friends in the legislature, State Senator Mike Carrell, Republican, of Lakewood.  Carrell, a retired educator, passed away on May 29th.  He was diagnosed earlier this year with a form of pre-leukemia, and had been undergoing treatment for several months. For 18 years he was one of the strongest defenders of the right to keep and bear arms in Washington.  Mike was first elected to the House of Representatives in the Republican Revolution of 1994, and served five terms there before moving up to the state Senate in 2004. He was just reelected to a third Senate term last November.

    Carrel’s death may spark a crisis for the ruling Majority Coalition (now only 22 Republicans and two Democrats organizing with Republicans versus 24 Democrats) in the state Senate.  It will be June 11th before the Pierce County Council can appoint a successor to Carrell, coincidentally the last day of the current special session.  Meanwhile, there is a Constitutional question as to whether the Lieutenant Governor, as President of the Senate,  is allowed to vote as a tie-breaker on bills.  While the focus is on the passage of a biennial budget (the Democrat-controlled House passed a budget with more than $1 BILLION in tax increases, the Majority Coalition-led Senate previously passed a balanced budget), this could also have implications for gun bills as well.

    The procedure for succession calls for the Pierce County Republican Party to nominate three possible replacements.  In a meeting last night, they chose former County Councilman Dick Muri, current freshman Representative Steve O’Ban, and University Place City Councilman Javier Figuroa, in that order of preference.  Now we wait until at least 11 June for the County Council to review the nominations and select Carrell’s successor.  That individual will serve until the 2014 general election, when he will undergo a confirmation election to fill the remaining two years of the term.

    Today is Day 19 of the 30-day special session.  SO FAR there has been zero action taken on gun bills.  Given the loss of Senator Carrell, there is no way to guarantee that situation will hold.  It likely will, because any gun bill would still have to pass out of the Senate Law & Justice Committee, not likely at this time.  The critical issue still facing the legislature is a biennial budget, made worse now by the damage to the I-5 bridge in Burlington.  The Democrat budget tax increases go FAR beyond any bridge-building.

    Allegedly 1,200 supporters attended a fund raiser in Seattle and pledged $750,000 to support an initiative for “gun safety.”  There is no language for such an initiative, so at this time I cannot comment on it’s potential impact on gun owners.  More as it develops.

    The circus continues in Washington, D.C. with most attention focused on the three scandals currently distracting many of the pols: the IRS, Benghazi and Justice Department snooping on journalists (notice I successfully resisted adding a -gate to the three).  There may be some back room negotiating ongoing on S. 649, but nothing specific has emerged.

    This coming Monday, 3 June, the United Nations will formally sign the Arms Trade Treaty passed last month and open it to signature by member nations.  Many member states are expected to sign in the formal ceremony on Monday, but it remains open for signature indefinitely.  Obama administration officials have indicated the President will sign the treaty sooner rather than later, although it does not appear he will travel to New York City Monday.  ANY TREATY must still be ratified by a 2/3 vote of the U.S. Senate to become law…

    Regret short fuse, but a “tech activist” conference will be conducted tomorrow in Bellevue.  The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time and takes place at the Coast Hotel, 625  116th Avenue in Bellevue.

    The Second Amendment Foundation is a co-sponsor, and the event will inform attendees how to make best use of technical resources in promoting their message.

    There is a $50 registration fee,  although that may be waived for up to 20 students.  For further information, see the links below.

    Website:  http://techactivist.com/

    Registration page:  http://techactivist.eventbrite.com/

    BILL STATUS:

    All bills filed in during the regular session are available and may be acted upon.  At this time there are no new gun bills.

    GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

    No active bills at this time

    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 “jwaldron@…” 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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Monroe                 8-9 June

    Puyallup               22-23 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-SPECIAL 2

    GOAL Post                                                                              2013-SPECIAL 2
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                                24 May  2013

    NO ACTIVITY IN OLYMPIA

    SESSION ENDS NO LATER THAN 11 JUNE

    D.C. FOLLIES

    AL UNIVERSAL RECOGNITION       9/01/2013

    As the second week of the special session of the legislature ends, there has been no action taken on any firearm-related bills.  At this time it appears guns are off the table for the session.  Keep in mind that could change in an instant if there is an incident that generates sufficient emotion to push a gun bill through.

    Assuming they take the full 30 days allowed, the special session will end on Tuesday, 11 June.

    The circus continues in Washington, D.C. with most attention focused on the three scandals currently distracting many of the pols.  There may be some back room negotiating ongoing on S. 649, but nothing specific has emerged.

    Earlier this week, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signed a bill significantly revising gun laws in that state.  Effective September 1st Alabama will shift from “may issue” to “shall issue” for CPLs.  Also on that date Alabama will recognize ALL CPLs issued nationwide.  Y’all come visit!

    BILL STATUS:

    As noted above, all bills filed in the previous regular session are available and may be acted upon.  At this time there are no new gun bills.

    GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

    No active bills at this time

    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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

     

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Monroe                 8-9 June

    Puyallup               22-23 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-SPECIAL 1

    GOAL Post                                                                             2013-SPECIAL 1
    Legislative Update from Olympia                                               17 May  2013

    SPECIAL SESSION CONVENES

    NOMINAL 30-DAY SESSION

    GUNS OFF THE TABLE?

    DISTRACTED IN D.C.  (Benghazi, IRS, AP)

    The special session of the legislature convened earlier this week.  Called by the governor specifically to pass a biennial budget, once they convene, the legislature can work any issues they choose.  All of the bills filed in the regular session are still in the hopper, and may be called up for reconsideration.

    The first week of the special session ended with no action taken on any firearms-related bills.  Even Governor Inslee acknowledges that not much — if anything — will be done concerning guns during the special session.  The legislature remains split on the budget, with the Republican coalition controlled Senate insisting on no new taxes and the Democrat House pushing for a more-than-$1-BILLION tax increase (which some analysts believe will be even larger).

    Most of the focus in Olympia right now is back room negotiating as legislators try to reach consensus on the budget.  While it does not appear they will take up the gun issue this time around, we can never be sure.  The 24 Republican-2 Democrat ruling coalition in the Senate appears to be holding, but if it should break up, we could be in big trouble.  As I noted in a previous GOAL Post, we’re just one major shooting incident away from all the gun bills they can pass.

    Nor are we out of the woods in the other Washington — D.C.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could bring S. 649 back for a vote any time he thinks he has the votes to pass the bill.  President Obama and VP Biden remain committed to passing as much of the Obama gun control agenda as they can push through the system.

    Fortunately for gun owners (and probably all Americans), the administration is distracted at the moment with the crisis du jour.  The Benghazi hearings and release of e-mails concerning the Benghazi cover-up, the IRS admission that they were giving “extra scrutiny” to applications for tax exempt status from conservative groups, and the revelation of the seizure of telephone records of several Associated Press reporters has kept the White House spin machine in overdrive.  The phrase of the day appears to be “I do not recall,” followed closely by “I had no knowledge…”  When your hand is caught in the cookie jar, deny, deny, deny.  It didn’t happen, we didn’t do it, we won’t do it again, and besides that was a long time ago.

    For a change the mainstream media appears to be greeting the administrations denials with a healthy dose of skepticism, but I don’t expect that to last.  They’ve given Obama & Company their blind support for more than four years now -0- it’s hard to admit you were wrong.  Time will tell.

    Hopefully the next few GOAL Posts will be as boring as this one!

    BILL STATUS:

    As noted above, all bills filed in the previous regular session are available and may be acted upon.  At this time there are no new gun bills.

    GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

    No active bills at this time

    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 list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.

    Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

    Monroe                 8-9 June

    Puyallup               22-23 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