GOAL Post 2011-4

From:    Joe Waldron [jwaldron@halcyon.com]
Sent:    Friday, January 28, 2011 3:49 PM
Subject:    GOAL Post 2011-4

GOAL Post 2011-4

Legislative Update from Olympia 28 January 2011

SEVERAL GUN-RELATED BILLS FILED

PUBLIC HEARING HELD ON SB 5112

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON SB 5313

Several new gun-related bills have been filed this week. HB 1628, by Rep. Steve Kirby (D-29), amends the background check process for CPLs. It deletes the Department of Social and Health Services and adds the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to the data bases to be queried.

HB 1638, by Rep. Roger Goodman (D-45), adds federal firearm disqualifiers to the CPL eligibility requirements. At this time, federal restrictions on firearm possession are more stringent than state law (e.g. individuals with dishonorable discharges or who have renounced their U.S. citizenship, etc). This would harmonize state and federal law and eliminate the possibility that an individual could be issued a CPL under state law only, while still being a prohibited person under federal law. Properly amended, this would also make Washington a NICS-alternative state, meaning no NICS check is required of anyone holding a valid, current CPL.

SB 5418, by Sen. Randi Becker (R-2) would extend "no duty to retreat" beyond the home to a motor vehicle. "Black letter law" (previous state Supreme Court decisions) already accomplishes this and more. But the bill also provides for civil immunity for an act of legitimate self defense, something current law does not cover.

A public hearing was held by Senate Judiciary on SB 5112 (suppressor use) Wednesday, 26 January. As with the hearing in House Judiciary, no one testified against the bill. If passed by both the House and Senate in unaltered form, it may be the first gun bill to go to Governor Gregoire this year.

A public hearing on SB 5313 (juvi weapon possession) is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, 1 February in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senate Hearing Room 1. The bill deals primarily with sentencing guidelines for juvenile weapons offenses.

BILL STATUS:

The following bills have been filed so far for the 2011-12 biennium:

Bill # Subject Sponsor Status
HB 1006 Knife blade length Appleton (D-23) H. Jud
HB 1016 Suppressor use Blake (D-19) H. Rules
HB 1066 Black powder storage and transport Bailey (R-10) H. Jud.
HB 1238 CPL age requirement lowered Orcutt (R-18) H. Jud.
HB 1400 Firearms on snowmobiles Ross (R-14) H. Jud.
HB 1455 Restoration of rights McCune (R-2) H. Jud.
HB 1508 Range protection Takko (D-19) H. Jud.
HB 1628 CPL background checks Kirby (D-29) H. Jud.
HB 1638 Harmonize state/federal law for CPLs Goodman (D-45) H. Jud.

SB 5112 Suppressor use Hatfield (D-19) S. Jud.
SB 5313 Juvenile weapon possession Kline (D-37) S. Jud.
SB 5418 No duty to retreat Becker (R-2) S. Jud.

Key to abbreviations: S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary, Fish/Ecol = Fisheries, Ecology & Parks, JuvJust = Juvenile Justice, Educ = Education, LocGov = Local Government, NatRes = Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks, PubSaf = Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness, W&M = Ways and Means

GOAL POSITION ON BILLS

HB 1006 OPPOSE
HB 1016 SUPPORT
HB 1066 SUPPORT
HB 1238 SUPPORT
HB 1400 SUPPORT
HB 1455 NEUTRAL
HB 1508 SUPPORT
HB 1628 SUPPORT
HB 1638 OPPOSE UNLESS AMENDED

SB 5112 SUPPORT
SB 5313 NEUTRAL
SB 5418 SUPPORT

HEARING SCHEDULED:

1 February SB 5313 Senate Judiciary Committee 10:00 a.m. Senate Hearing Room "1" John A. Cherberg Bldg (JAC)

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.

If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at "jwaldron@halcyon.com" 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 12-13 February
Puyallup 26-27 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 2011 Gun Owners Action League of WA