Legislative Report
by Tanya Metaksa
United Nations
Less than 24 hours after his election, President Obama instructed UN Ambassador Susan Rice to vote for a resolution in support of a “Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty” (ATT). The Conference being held in New York City March 18-28 is nothing more than another attempt at global gun control by the UN.
Federal Legislation
Upon final adjournment of the 112th Congress on Jan. 2 all legislation that had not been passed and signed by the President became null and void, including S-3525, the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act that never passed the US Senate.
The new Congress, the 113th, began its two-year session on Jan. 3.
In the wake of the horrific killings in Newton, CT, in December, President Obama has set a new agenda of passing gun control legislation in the first month of his second term.
According to the Washington Post of Jan. 5 “The White House is weighing a far broader and more comprehensive approach to curbing the nation’s gun violence than simply reinstating an expired ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition.” It appears that this new Public Relations effort from the administration will outdo the one created by then President Bill Clinton in 1994. It will take a concerted effort by all Second Amendment believers to stop Obama’s War on Gun Owners. They are trying to ram legislation through the Congress quickly and without any discussion. If you loved how ObamaCare was passed, you will be equally thrilled to see how any gun bill gets passed.
Already we have seen Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) again state that she would love to see all guns banned. Mayor Bloomberg and his mayoral allies are working hard to pass banning rifles, magazines and even ammunition. These anti-gun politicians are already putting the pressure on gun show promoters, especially those in the Northeast, to stop allowing the sale of semi-automatic rifles. According to the Boston Herald Boston Mayor Thomas Menino told the paper that Vice President Joe Biden told him, “Tommy, I guarantee you we’ll get it done by the end of January.” The Administration is looking to pass the most onerous bill it can as quickly as it can even though during Obama’s first campaign in 2008 he stated, “I just want to be absolutely clear. Alright, so I don’t want any misunderstanding when you all go home and you are talking to your buddies and you say, ah ‘He wants to take your guns away.’ You’ve heard it here, I’m on television so everybody knows it. I believe in the Second Amendment. I believe in people’s lawful right to bear arms. I will not take your shotgun away. I will not take your rifle away. I won’t take your handgun away.”
Fast and Furious
Although the House Oversight and Governmental Reform Committee has yet to publish their third and last part of a three-part joint staff report on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) “Fast and Furious” operation, it may possibly be delayed while the “gun control” debate is going on.
State Legislatures
All state legislatures will start new legislative sessions in 2013 with the exception of New Jersey.
Last month we gave a schedule of the first 46 states that will start or have started their sessions. Here is the list of the final legislatures to go into session Jan. 04—Oklahoma, Oregon Jan. 05—Alabama Jan. 13—West Virginia Florida starts March 5 and Louisiana begins on April 8.
California
The California legislature already began its 2013 session on December 3.
It is scheduled to adjourn August 31, 2013.
Colorado
It was reported in the Colorado Statesman that anti-gun bills are being drafted with the cooperation of Gov.
John Hickenlooper (D). As a result of the tragic shooting of 20 children and three adults in Newton, CT, Hickenlooper with the assistance of national and local anti-gun groups is going to try to make Colorado a “guinea pig” for more restrictions on lawful gunowners.
Illinois
Illinois has a lame duck session from January 2-7 in which the many defeated anti-gun legislators will be able to vote before their terms expire. It is rumored that Governor Quinn will again try to pass his comprehensive gun ban. (See related story elsewhere in this issue.) In 2012 the Cook County the Board of Commissioners in a 9-7 vote approved a $25 tax on all firearms purchased in Cook County.
Kansas
On Dec. 6, 2012 the City Council of Topeka, KS, voted by a 10-0 majority to allow citizens to carry loaded handguns in their vehicles.
Maine
The Maine legislature began its 2013 session on Dec. 5, 2012.
Massachusetts
Due to delays by the Commonwealth’s licensing authority, the legislatively mandated 40-day requirement for processing applications and renewals for a Firearm Identification Card (FID) or a License to Carry (LTC) has not been met. Many gunowners have waited six months or more for the bureaucrats to process applications, putting them in violation of the statute.
State Rep. George Peterson and state Sen. Richard Moore have filed emergency legislation to remedy this problem.
Michigan
In the final weeks of the 2011-2012 legislative session the Senate approved SB-59 on a 27-11 vote. The legislature adjourned just before Christmas, but Gov. Rick Snyder (R) vetoed the bill.
However, Snyder signed two bills: HB- 5225, which repealed the state’s license-to-purchase for handguns, repealed handgun safety test, and streamlined the requirements for private sales; and SB-984, allowing Michigan residents to purchase long guns and eliminating the state ban on such purchases.
New Jersey
AB-1216, legislation that increases the penalty for firearms possession on the campus of an educational institution from a second-degree crime to a third degree crime, passed the Law and Public Safety Committee on June 8, 2012. Since New Jersey legislators are elected in odd years, their legislative session begins in an even numbered year and ends in an odd numbered year. Therefore all legislation is held over to 2013.
In mid-December the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee unanimously voted to allow deer hunting on Sundays on private property.
New Mexico
On Jan. 1, 2013 the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Committee State Parks Division changes its rules to allow persons with right-to-carry licenses to carry loaded handguns in state parks and in private vehicles within those parks.
New York
Governor Cuomo helped to ram through an omnibus gun control act that includes broadening the state’s current ‘assault-weapons’ ban, magazine size limits and restricting multiple gun purchases. He also said he would like confiscation of firearms to be on the table. Assemblyman David Weprin (D) is said to also be introducing legislation to increase the penalties for using “illegal guns.” Ohio HB-495 that passed the House of Representatives on June 13, 2012 was never considered in 2013 so it died with adjournment.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania voters elected Kathleen Kane as their new Attorney General and now they will have an extremely antigun AG. Even before she was sworn in she signed a letter to the US Senate to oppose S. 2188.
Tennessee
Since 2010 the fight between Tennesseans with carry permits and corporations has been at the forefront of several legislative battles. The legislative session of 2013 should be no exception.
Texas
Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott ruled that under the Texas Employee/Parking Lot Protection law passed in 2011 employers may not ban the transport and storage of handguns locked in private vehicles by employees having Concealed Handgun Licenses. He also added that any facility with a federally approved security plan does not preempt the Texas statute.
As a result of the election the Texas Legislature that only meets on odd numbered years will include forty new House members. On the first day 2013 legislation could be introduced, including HB-47, a bill to reduce the number of classroom hours required for the issuance of a Concealed Handgun License from ten hours to four, was introduced.
Texas State Rep. Paul R. Beane has publicly supported allowing concealed carry on college campuses. He has not introduced any legislation.
Wisconsin
In 2012 the Sporting Heritage Act was passed and signed by Gov. Scott Walker (R), but its implementation was left to the Natural Resources Board (NRB). The NRB’s implementation did little to expand hunting seasons. As a result gunowners and hunters are ready to take the fight back to the legislature.
Wyoming
A report in the Laramie Boomerang stated “an interim Wyoming legislative committee recently endorsed a bill to end the state’s prohibition on hunting with silencers. The full Legislature will consider the issue in the general session starting in January.” At this time no one has introduced such legislation.
