GOAL Alert 1-2014
Legislative Update from Olympia 26 January 2014
PUBLIC HEARING ON INITIATIVES
LEGISLATURE INUNDATED WITH PRO-I-594 E-MAILS
CHANGE IN POSITION ON HUNTER ED BILL
This is a repeat, but it bears repeating. Public hearings will be conducted on Initiatives 591 (pro-gun) and 594 (anti-gun) on 28 January (House Judiciary) and 29 January (Senate Law & Justice). It is critical that as many individuals as possible turn out to attend BOTH of these hearings.
A strong turnout sends a strong signal to both the legislature and to the media present of the support for, or opposition to, each of the initiatives. Signs and posters are not allowed inside the buildings, but we will be distributing “Guns Save Lives” stickers to participants. Parking in the vicinity of the Campus is tight, and Olympia loves to give tickets for illegal parking, so car pools are strongly encouraged. http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Parking.aspx
The House Judiciary Committee will conduct it’s hearing on both initiatives at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, in House Hearing Room “A” in the John L. Obrien (House) Office Building. The Senate Law & Justice Committee will hear both initiatives at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Senate Hearing Room “1” in the John A. Cherberg Senate Office Building. Sign-up sheets will likely be posted outside the hearing rooms. Please come early and sign in FOR I-591 and AGAINST I-594.
House Judiciary chair Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-27) announced she would also hear HB 1561 — legalizing short-barreled rifles under state law — in conjunction with her hearing on the initiatives Tuesday afternoon.
We are receiving reports legislators are being inundated with e-mails asking them to support I-594 (anti-gun) and oppose I-591 (pro-gun). Whether you can or can’t make it to Olympia on Tuesday and/or Wednesday, and especially if you can’t make either day, it is imperative you communicate with your legislators and tell that that I-594 is not only too extreme for Washingtonians, it’s possibly in conflict with federal law as well.
Speaking of being inundated with e-mails, I have received several from hunter education instructors asking that we reverse our position on the Hunter Education fee increase bills. Given that they are far more current with the program (my experience goes back 25-35 years), I defer to their judgment. The position will change to “SUPPORT” in the next GOAL Post.”
I look forward to seeing all of you on Tuesday and Wednesday.
GOAL Post 2014-3
Legislative Update from Olympia 23 January 2014
PUBLIC HEARINGS ON INITIATIVES
I-594 CERTIFIED BY SOS; I-591 NEXT
FIREARMS ON THE CAPITOL CAMPUS
FORMAT CHANGE
NEW BILL(S) FILED
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEARING(S) SCHEDULED
OPPOSE HB 2459/SB 6039
Public hearings will be conducted on Initiatives 591 (pro-gun) and 594 (anti-gun) on 28 January (House Judiciary) and 29 January (Senate Law & Justice). It is critical that as many individuals turn out as possible to attend BOTH of these hearings. A strong turnout sends a strong signal to both the legislature and to the media present of the support for, or opposition to, each of the initiatives.
Signs and posters are not allowed inside the buildings, but we will be distributing “Guns Save Lives” stickers to participants. Parking in the vicinity of the Campus is tight, and Olympia loves to give tickets for illegal parking, so car pools are strongly encouraged. http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Parking.aspx
The House Judiciary Committee will conduct it’s hearing on both initiatives at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, in House Hearing Room “A” in the John L. Obrien (House) Office Building. The Senate Law & Justice Committee will hear both initiatives at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Senate Hearing Room “1” in the John A. Cherberg Senate Office Building. Sign-up sheets will likely be posted outside the hearing rooms. Please come early and sign in FOR I-591 and AGAINST I-594.
(And just before I sent this, House Judiciary chair Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-27) announced she would also hear HB 1561 — legalizing short-barreled rifles under state law — in conjunction with her hearing on the initiatives Tuesday afternoon.)
The Secretary of State announced on Wednesday that the count of signatures for I-=594 was completed, and the initiative has sufficient signatures to move forward. The count on I-591 is underway as you read this.
And here is where I alienate some of you on the list. Carry is legal on the Capitol Campus. But both committee chairs have asked that no one OPEN carry in deference to the victims the other side is expected to bring in. I know, and for the most part agree with, the arguments for open carry. But occasionally discretion is the better part of valor. This is NOT the time to push the issue. In fact, the most likely reaction to such activity is a change in the law banning ALL firearms on the Campus. That does no one any good. Please be discrete.
I’ve merged the “Bill Status” and “GOAL Position” segments to make for easier linking of the two. The GOAL position on a given bill will appear immediately below the bill information.
One new firearm-related bill was filed this week. SB 6245, by Sen. Brian Dansel (R-7) makes technical fixes to the existing law requiring surrender of a CPL held by anyone convicted of certain offenses.
A public hearing will be conducted on SB 6199, a bill restricting the use of incendiary or tracer ammunition and incendiary devices.
I have taken a position to oppose HB 2459 and SB 6039, bills dealing with hunter education training. I support the intent of hunter education training. I was first certified by the State of California as a Hunter Safety instructor in 1973. Hunter education training was developed by the NRA in the 1930s. Hunter Ed instruction is currently conducted by volunteer instructors. But this bill allows the Department of Fish and Wildlife to set a registration fee “of not more than $20” to take the course. Revenues collected shall be used to reimburse volunteer instructors for out-of-pocket expenses and other purposes. I oppose the bills as written because I believe $20 is too high and will evolve into a cash cow for DFW. Instructors deserve to be reimbursed, but a $20 fee for the course may act as a bar to certifying young hunters.
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 15-16 February
Puyallup 22-23 February
“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
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.
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
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