FROM: GOAL [goalwa@cox.net]
TO: undisclosed-recipients:
SENT: Fri 5/31/2013 8:31 AM
SUBJECT: GOAL Post 2013-SPECIAL 3
Legislative Update from Olympia 31 May, 2013
- SENATOR MIKE CARRELL (R-28) PASSES
- LOSS SPLITS SENATE 24-24
- STILL NO FOCUS ON GUNS -- YET
- GUN CONTROL INITIATIVE FUNDING GETS A BOOST
- SCANDALS DISTRACT ANTIS IN D.C.
- UN RELEASES ATT FOR SIGNATURE/RATIFICATION
- TECH ACTIVIST CONFERENCE IN BELLEVUE TOMORROW
Carrel's death may spark a crisis
for the ruling Majority Coalition (now only 22 Republicans and two Democrats
organizing with Republicans versus 24 Democrats) in the state Senate. It will be June 11th before the Pierce County
Council can appoint a successor to Carrell, coincidentally the last day of the
current special session. Meanwhile,
there is a Constitutional question as to whether the Lieutenant Governor, as
President of the Senate, is allowed to
vote as a tie-breaker on bills. While
the focus is on the passage of a biennial budget (the Democrat-controlled House
passed a budget with more than $1 BILLION in tax increases, the Majority
Coalition-led Senate previously passed a balanced budget), this could also have
implications for gun bills as well.
The procedure for succession calls
for the Pierce County Republican Party to nominate three possible
replacements. In a meeting last night,
they chose former County Councilman Dick Muri, current freshman Representative
Steve O'Ban, and University Place City Councilman Javier Figuroa, in that order
of preference. Now we wait until at
least 11 June for the County Council to review the nominations and select
Carrell's successor. That individual will
serve until the 2014 general election, when he will undergo a confirmation election
to fill the remaining two years of the term.
Today is Day 19 of the 30-day
special session. SO FAR there has been
zero action taken on gun bills. Given
the loss of Senator Carrell, there is no way to guarantee that situation will
hold. It likely will, because any gun
bill would still have to pass out of the Senate Law & Justice Committee,
not likely at this time. The critical
issue still facing the legislature is a biennial budget, made worse now by the
damage to the I-5 bridge in Burlington.
The Democrat budget tax increases go FAR beyond any bridge-building.
Allegedly 1,200 supporters attended
a fund raiser in Seattle and pledged $750,000 to support an initiative for
"gun safety." There is no
language for such an initiative, so at this time I cannot comment on it's
potential impact on gun owners. More as
it develops.
The circus continues in Washington,
D.C. with most attention focused on the three scandals currently distracting
many of the pols: the IRS, Benghazi and Justice Department snooping on
journalists (notice I successfully resisted adding a -gate to the three). There may be some back room negotiating
ongoing on S. 649, but nothing specific has emerged.
This coming Monday, 3 June, the
United Nations will formally sign the Arms Trade Treaty passed last month and
open it to signature by member nations.
Many member states are expected to sign in the formal ceremony on
Monday, but it remains open for signature indefinitely. Obama administration officials have indicated
the President will sign the treaty sooner rather than later, although it does
not appear he will travel to New York City Monday. ANY TREATY must still be ratified by a 2/3
vote of the U.S. Senate to become law. .
Regret short fuse, but a "tech
activist" conference will be conducted tomorrow in Bellevue. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Pacific Daylight Time and takes place at the Coast Hotel, 625 116th Avenue in
Bellevue.
The Second Amendment Foundation is
a co-sponsor, and the event will inform attendees how to make best use of
technical resources in promoting their message.
There is a $50 registration fee,
although that may be waived for up to 20 students. For further information, see the links below.
Website: http://techactivist.com/
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.
GOAL POSITION ON BILLS:
No active 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
"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).
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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,
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Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Monroe, 8-9 June
Puyallup, 22-23 June
"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 2013 Gun Owners Action League of WA
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