SayUncle has the story. This is not unexpected, since there’s controlling higher court precedent that binds the lower court.
Category: Gun Rights
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Encourages Law Breaking
They are taking the Mayor of Pittsburgh to task because he won’t sign an illegal law:
For all the mayor’s good words to council, that statement to state lawmakers would have been stronger if the city’s highest elected official had affixed his signature to it. That would have been real leadership.
Is real leadership being demonstrated by Philadelphia? A city that’s running out money to such a degree that they are closing fire stations and cutting back on other essential services, but yet has the money to fight for worthless gun control measures in Pennsylvania’s courts with almost no chance of prevailing? That’s the kind of leadership you want to see out of Pittsburgh? I think Mayor Ravenstahl has demonstrated leadership, which the Post-Gazette wouldn’t apparently recognized if they were slapped in the face with it.
Gun Nutty Pittsburgh
Allegheny County, which is home to Pittsburgh, issues more licenses to carry than any other county in the state:
About one in 20 people in Allegheny County has a permit to carry a concealed firearm, state police records show. With 60,000 licensed gun owners, the county has more than any county in the state. Statewide, more than 800,000 people can carry a concealed weapon.
That figure for the whole state is a lot higher than previously reported. Could be wrong, or it could be we’ve had an increase in the number of people seeking licenses.
New Orleans Injunction
GunPundit pointed out a great post over the weekend describing why getting a permanent injunction against New Orleans unlawfully confiscating firearms really was a substantive victory, rather than just a symbolic one.
More on One-Gun-a-Month
NRA reports that the New Jersey one-gun-a-month bill was indeed pulled from a floor vote. It will remain a pending bill in the legislature for the next thirteen months remaining in the term, and could have a floor vote at any time. But NRA does mention:
While this legislation will remain in a position to be posted for a vote by the full Senate for the rest of the 13 months remaining in the term, this development can only indicate a softening of support for this dangerous bill. Overwhelming effort on the part of the grassroots networks of a variety of gun rights groups in New Jersey must be credited with this apparent reversal of fortune for the anti-gun crowd.
There are people who deserve credit for this. Scott Bach, who is an NRA Board Member and President of the Association of New Jersey Rifle Pistol Clubs, Andrew Jennison, who is the NRA state liaison for New Jersey, and probably more than a few other people who I’m overlooking. But really, none of these people are scary to politicians without grass roots who are involved and engaged.
This is a minor, and possibly short lived victory, but it wasn’t too long ago the anti-gun forces in New Jersey could steamroll us whenever they wanted to. That might be changing, but we must keep up the fight.
New Jersey Sportsmen Get Representation in Trenton
It looks like a few lawmakers have decided it’s still okay to publicly support hunters in Trenton.
New Jersey’s nearly 1,000,000 anglers, hunters and trappers are claiming a historic day. They are referring to the creation and first official meeting of the New Jersey Angling and Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJAHCC), a bipartisan assembly of political leaders and recreational outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to advancing the state’s conservation interests.
The NJAHCC was initiated and organized by Senator Stephen M. Sweeney (Democratic Majority Leader) at the suggestion, and with the cooperation, of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance. The Caucus is comprised of a total of 26 senators and assemblypersons.
Hopefully these lawmakers will also vote the right way on gun issues. I haven’t looked up their grades or voting records yet. If they aren’t gun-friendly yet, this is one way gun owners can approach them.
Unfortunately, gun owners in New Jersey have a long way to go because 26 lawmakers in both chambers isn’t very many when there are 120 legislators in total.
Pittsburgh’s Illegal Gun Law to go into Effect Soon
It looks like it will be your Christmas gift, Pittsburgh residents.
A controversial gun-control law passed by Pittsburgh City Council will take effect within 10 days without Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s signature.
Whether it will be enforced remains to be seen.
The law, which many believe violates the state Constitution, requires gun owners to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours of noticing it’s gone. The measure is designed to stop the flow of guns into the streets through straw purchasers — people with clean records who buy guns to sell to criminals.
Pittsburgh: Where the Constitution is optional.
New Jersey One-Gun-A-Month Vote
The vote did not happen today in the Senate. At this point, that’s all the information I have about it.
Attention New Jersey Readers
The New Jersey Senate is having a floor vote today on S-1774, which will ration folks in New Jersey to no more than one handgun purchase permit per month. Given New Jersey’s gun laws already require you to obtain permission from the police to purchase a handgun, a process that can often take more than a year, this is pretty ridiculous.
If you live in New Jersey, you should call your State Stenator now. Bryan Miller has graciously provided instruction on how to contact their office. Of course, you’ll want to tell him or to vote NO on S-1774, not yes.
Fire a Gun, Go to Jail
Firearms & Freedom points out some absurdity with the proposed model legislation for bullet serialization. The ammo serialization bill also demands that non-serialized ammunition be destroyed before 2011, so under this model legislation, you can forget reloading. As others have said, ammunition restrictions might be a new model for the gun control proponents.