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A Wookie's Life in Six Panels...

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GOAL Post 2012-7

From GOAL [goalwa@cox.net]

GOAL Post 2012-7

Legislative Update from Olympia                          17 February 2012

·         CHAMBER CUT-OFF PASSES

·         NEXT CUT-OFF FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY

·         4 BILLS OF INTEREST REMAIN

·         C OMMITTEE HEARING PROCESS BEGINS ALL OVER AGAIN

·         PUBLIC HEARING ON ESSB 5697

·         NO ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED AT THIS TIME

Tuesday, 14 February was the last day to consider bills in their chamber of origin (NOT Friday, 17 February as incorrectly reported last week).  Friday, 24 February (next Friday) is the next critical cut-off date: all bills must one again pass out of the policy committee of the second chamber (House bills out of the Senate and vice versa).

Four bills of direct interest to gun owners remain alive and under consideration.  They are ESHB 1508 (range protection), HB 2471 (firearm purchase/NICS waiver), ESSB 5697 (state agency gun security devices) and SSB 6123 (NRA license plate).  ESHB 1508was stripped of most of its real benefit to ranges when it left the House Judiciary Committee.  It was further amended on the House floor to keep its very narrow, limited effect.  HB 2471 passed the House in its original form.  If enacted, this would allow individuals who hold a WA CPL issued after 22 July 2011 to purchase handguns without a NICS background check.  A public hearing was held in House Judiciary on SSB 5697 today.  SSB 6123 sits in House Transportation awaiting action.

Once again, bills must first undergo a public hearing, this time in the policy committee of the second chamber (House or Senate).  Without a public hearing, no action is likely to be taken on any of the bills.  At this time, no public hearings are scheduled for ESHB 1508, HB 2471 or SSB 6123.  Next week's hearing schedule has already been published.  Unless the schedule is amended, those bills will die in committee.

(More after the jump)

Obama goes to San Fran...

..and a Tea Party broke out: The City Square: Tea Party Protests Obama in San Francisco

Why on Earth...

...would anyone want to put spade grips on an AR15?

So, what's Gunny been up to lately?

Judge Napolitano speaks

Is this the segment that got him canceled?

NRA-ILA | Washington: Three Firearm-Related Measures Move Forward

NRA-ILA | Washington: Three Firearm-Related Measures Move Forward

Last night, House Bill 1508, legislation relating to shooting ranges, was amended and passed in the state House by a 93 to 5 vote. This morning, House Bill 2471, a background check reform bill, passed in the state House by a 96 to 2 vote. Additionally, Senate Bill 6123, an NRA special license plate bill, passed in the state Senate this morning by a 36 to 13 vote.

Introduced by state Representatives Dean Takko (D-19), Tim Probst (D-17) and Kevin Van De Wege (D-24), House Bill 1508 would have originally ensured that existing shooting ranges were broadly protected against civil liability and criminal charges related to noise pollution. However, this bill was amended and significantly weakened in the state House Judiciary Committee, leaving it as a measure that would no longer provide an adequate level of protection for shooting ranges.

HB 1508 was amended on the state House floor. The NRA is in the process of analyzing the adopted amendment to determine whether adequate provisions have been restored, or if there is more work to be done in the state Senate. We will keep you informed on this issue.

On a positive note, we were able fight off amendments aimed at weakening House Bill 2471, so it passed the state House in its original form and now goes to the state Senate for its consideration. Sponsored by seven state Representatives, HB 2471 would exempt CPL holders, whose licenses were issued on or after July 22, 2011, from having to undergo any sort of background check when purchasing a pistol. Additionally, this bill would require only the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check for CPL holders whose permits were issued prior to July 22, 2011.

Lastly, Senate Bill 6123, sponsored by nineteen state Senators, would create a special NRA license plate, with revenue going to fund firearm safety and education as part of the hunter education training program. SB 6123 now goes to the state House for its consideration.

We will communicate with you again in the near future and give you direction to contact your state legislators when it is timely and appropriate. Thank you for your continued vigilance!

I've been saying for years that we need a good Range Protection Law in this state--we have many good gun clubs that, when established decades ago, were pretty isolated, but are now in the middle of development, and the California or East Coast yuppies are outraged to learn that people shoot guns at a gun club!

I've also been criticized by those who have other agenda, like Open Carry , suppressors, etc, because, somehow, those things are more important than ensuring we have someplace to practice...

Outrage of the Day, 02/25/2012

Preschooler's Homemade Lunch Replaced With Nuggets | Fox News

I was going to blame North Carolina, but in the article they say it was because of Federal School Lunch Guidelines.

QOTD, 02/15/12

WILLIAMSON'S FIRST LAW: THE MORE EAGER A GROUP IS TO INVOKE GHANDI, THE LESS IT DESERVES THE COMPARISON. IF IT DESERVES THE COMPARISON, THAT WILL COME FROM AN OUTSIDE AGENCY.
"Mad" Mike Williamson

Discussing a panel on the topic of Occupy Wall Street vs The Tea Party.  Predictably, the Aoccutard contingent--Cory Doctorow--trotted out a comparison to Ghandi. 

Actually, you get two QOTD's for the price of one, to wit:

A friend of mine raised the question of what to do in Chicago when both G8 and NATO are there in May this year. Well, I propose a popcorn concession for spectators, and possibly a hardhat rental for the participants. All I can say is, whoever set that schedule up is a comedic genius.