GOAL Post 2009-2

GOAL Post 2009-2
Legislative Update from Olympia 23 January 2009

LEGISLATIVE CUT-OFF CALENDAR

CONTACT INFORMATION

PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD

PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED

HUNTING ISSUES

NOTE: GOAL Post was not published on January 16th as I was attending the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trades (SHOT) Show in Orlando. Activity has been slow, nothing was missed.

The legislature adopted the following cut-off dates for the 2009 session. Bills that have not passed the stated hurdle at that time are generally considered dead for the session (exceptions ARE possible).

January 12 First day of session
February 25 Bills must pass policy committee in house of origin
March 2 Bills must pass fiscal committees if necessary
March 12 Bills must pass house of origin
March 30 Bills must pass policy committee in opposite house
April 6 Bills must pass fiscal committee in opposite house
April 17 Bills must pass opposite house
April 26 Legislature adjourns


Legislative directories are available on-line. Legislators (Senators and Representatives), staff, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and Olympia office addresses are available at:

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

Public hearings were held on HB 1052 and HB 1114. Both are scheduled for committee votes during the week of 25 January.

Public hearings are scheduled on two gun-related bills next week, both on Tuesday, 26 January. SB 5095 would ban the use of lead shot in any area where it is deemed to be a danger to the California condor OR ANY OTHER THREATENED SPECIES. This could result in a broad ban on the use of lead shot statewide. Please contact your legislators and voice your strong opposition to SB 5095.

A public hearing is also scheduled on Tuesday on HB 1498. This bill would ban possession of firearms by anyone involuntarily committed to a mental health institution for treatment. Provision is made to have rights restored by a superior court if the individual is deemed not to present a danger. The NRA is proposing amendment(s) to the bill. Support if amended.

Typically, several purely hunting-related bills are filed during a legislative session. The primary focus of GOAL, and the GOAL Post, is on firearms rights. For detailed tracking of hunting bills, please e-mail Ed Owens of the Hunters Heritage Council at ed_owens@comcast.net and ask to be placed on his e-mail alert list. We work closely with Ed; he has proven to be a valuable resource in protecting our firearms rights as well as on hunting issues.

BILL STATUS:

The following bills have been filed for the 2009-10 biennium:

Bill # Subject Sponsor Status
HB 1052 Alien firearm licenses Moeller (D-49) H. Jud.
HB 1114 Youth hunting age requirement Blake (D-19) H
HB 1498 Involuntary commitment Hunter (D-48) H. Jud.
SB 5067 Expand hunter access/private land Jacobsen (D-46) S. NatRes
SB 5095 Lead shot ban Jacobsen (D-46) S. NatRes
SB 5193 Alien firearm licenses Delvin (R-8) S. Jud.

Key to abbreviations: S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary, Ag/NatRes = Agriculture and Natural Resources, NatRes = Natural Resources, Oceans and Recreation

GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

HB 1052 SUPPORT
HB 1114 SUPPORT
HB 1498 SUPPORT IF AMENDED
SB 5067 SUPPORT
SB 5095 OPPOSE
SB 5193 SUPPORT

HEARING SCHEDULED:

26 January SB 5095 Senate Natural Resources Committee
1:30 p.m. Senate Hearin Rm 2 John A. Cherberg Bldg (JAC)

26 January HB 1498 House Judiciary Committee
1:30 p.m. House Hearing Rm "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 "jwaldron@halcyon.com". 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 "jwaldron@halcyon.com" 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 14-15 February
Puyallup 21-22 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

Copyright 2009 Gun Owners Action League of WA