Category: Politics

Arizona bill to remove tax on gun sales advances

PHOENIX — Arizona lawmakers are moving to help make the purchase of guns just a bit more affordable.

By a 6-4 margin, the House Ways and Means Committee voted Wednesday to exempt the sale of firearms from the state’s 5.6% sales tax. HB 2166 also would impose the same preclusion on cities.

“It’s my view that firearms should not be out of reach of anyone based on income,” Rep. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, told colleagues. “It should be as affordable as possible.”

The bill now requires a vote of the full House.

Also exempt from taxes would be the sale of safety accessories, ranging from gun safes or cases to certain interlocks to prevent a weapon from being fired unless first deactivated by someone who is supposed to have access.

Individual affordability aside, Kaiser said what his bill also would do is end the financial disadvantage of firearms dealers.

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Spokane County Sheriff: Magazine bans do nothing to stop violence

(The Center Square) – Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich told legislators Wednesday that there was no evidence that banning the sale of high-capacity firearm magazines deterred violence and that the ban was likely to be found unconstitutional.

“There is no evidence that this type of ban is going to decrease violence in Washington, none whatsoever,” said Knezovich.

He was addressing the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee that is reviewing Senate Bill 5078, which passed in that chamber by a 28-20 vote last week…………….

Overwhelming Opposition to WA Magazine Ban Bill…

Legislation that would ban so-called “high capacity magazines” in Washington State—scheduled for a public hearing Wednesday morning before the state House Civil Rights & Judiciary committee—had garnered almost 15,000 “con” notifications prior to the hearing, while less than 1,000 “pro” notifications had been logged.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5078 would prohibit ammunition magazines for rifles or pistols exceeding 10 rounds. Larger capacity magazines already in possession would be still allowed.

But Evergreen State gun owners are unified in their opposition to the measure, which was requested by anti-gun Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson and sponsored by Bellevue Democrat state Sen. Patty Kuderer, with a handful of co-sponsors, all Democrats.

These charts show the overwhelming opposition to Washington State legislation aimed at banning so-called “high-capacity magazines.” (Courtesy Aaron Lyons)

The hearing was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The bill has already passed the Democrat-controlled Senate on a party-line vote 28-20. It is scheduled for a committee vote on Friday.

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“….getting rid of the permits would amount to “defunding the police” and endanger law enforcement officers.”
That’s a new take on the old “The sky is falling, the sky is falling, there will be blood running in the streets!™”
It was said about permitless carry by the anti-civil rights Nervous Nellies in every state before it was passed…..And-It-Never-Happens.

Alabama House committee approves permitless pistol carry bill.

An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved a bill that would allow the permitless carry of pistols in the state, sending an Alabama House GOP priority bill to that chamber.

The 8 to 5 vote on the bill from Rep. Shane Stringer, R-Citronelle, took place after an hour of contentious debate that crossed party lines.

Stringer argued that the legislation would allow law-abiding citizens to carry weapons without fear of legal retribution, and said permit laws did not deter crime.

“The fact of the matter is criminals don’t adhere to laws,” Stringer said. “They don’t obey the laws we have now. We cannot legislate an evil heart from Montgomery.”

The bill passed with an amendment that would require gun owners to declare that they were carrying firearms when asked by a police officer. But there was confusion about a second amendment proposed by Rep. Proncey Robertson, R-Mount Hope, that appeared to create separate penalties for bringing firearms in areas where they are currently restricted and led Stringer to call Rep. Mike Jones, R-Andalusia, not a member of the committee, to explain it.

Rep. Allen Farley, R-McCalla, a retired assistant sheriff for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said getting rid of the permits would amount to “defunding the police” and endanger law enforcement officers.

Kansas Republicans introduce anti-gun owner discrimination law

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Kansas Republicans have introduced an anti-discrimination bill in the Senate, which would prevent discrimination against those involved in the legal trade of guns or ammunition.

On Tuesday, Feb. 15, Republican Senator Kellie Warren (R-11) says she sponsored the Firearms Industry Nondiscrimination Act. She said the legislation is imperative to protect the Second Amendment rights of Kansans.

Senate Bill 482 would block attempts to discriminate against those involved in the legal trade of firearms or ammunition.

“The leftist mob has a radical agenda designed to circumvent our constitutional rights in order to re-engineer society by attacking the gun trade,” said Warren. “Knowing their policies are deeply unpopular in Kansas, they seek to enforce their agenda through woke corporations seeking to cancel our right to bear arms and bully those involved in the commerce of firearms and ammunition. That’s why I’m proud to join with the Republican leadership in the Senate to sponsor the FIND Act.”

Warren said similar bills have been signed into law in states like Texas as conservative leaders look to block “Corporate Gun Control” attempts.

“The FIND Act is incredibly important legislation that needs to be passed in order to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights,” Warren noted. “The gun trade in Kansas should be protected, not punished, and I stand with them in defending their rights and protecting them and their employees.”

Warren, who currently chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, has also thrown her hat into the Attorney’s General race.

Senators Larry Alley (R-32), Renee Erickson (R-30), Ty Masterson (R-16) and Rick Wilborn (R-35) also sponsored the bill.

The Parkland Shooting Was Proof Positive That Gun Control Doesn’t Work

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was a tragic event. Particularly so in that could have been prevented. Not prevented by enacting more gun control laws. It could have been prevented by the proper administration and application of law enforcement and school administration.

But since the shooting four years ago, those who so clearly failed to do their jobs that day and in the years before have laid the blame for the massacre on law-abiding gun owners and the inanimate object the killer used.

Nikolas Cruz was a known threat. He was known by the administrators of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward County Public Schools, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

Here are some interesting facts about the shooter in the years leading up to his rampage.

Feb. 5, 2016: A Broward County Sheriff’s deputy is told by an anonymous caller that Nikolas Cruz, then 17, had threatened on Instagram to shoot up his school and posted a photo of himself with guns. The information is forwarded to BSO Deputy Scott Peterson (the same officer who failed to act during the shooting), a school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Sept. 23, 2016: A “peer counselor” reports to Peterson that Cruz had possibly ingested gasoline in a suicide attempt, was cutting himself, and wanted to buy a gun. A mental health counselor advised against involuntary committing Cruz. The high school said it would conduct a threat assessment.

Sept. 28, 2016: An investigator for the Florida Department of Children and Families rules Cruz is stable, despite “fresh cuts” on his arms. His mother, Lynda Cruz, says in the past he wrote a racial slur against African Americans on his book bag and had recently talked of buying firearms.

Sept. 24, 2017: A YouTube user named “nikolas cruz” posted a comment stating he wants to become a “professional school shooter.” The comment is reported to the FBI in Mississippi, which fails to make the connection to Cruz in South Florida.

Nov. 1, 2017: Katherine Blaine, Lynda Cruz’s cousin, calls BSO to report that Nikolas Cruz had weapons and asks that police recover them. A “close family friend” agrees to take the firearms, according to BSO.

Nov. 29, 2017: The Palm Beach County family that took Cruz in after the death of his mother calls the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office to report a fight between Cruz and their son, 22. A member of the family says Cruz had threatened to “get his gun and come back” and that he has “put the gun to others’ heads in the past.” The family does not want him arrested once he calms down.

Nov. 30, 2017: A caller from Massachusetts calls BSO to report that Cruz is collecting guns and knives and could be a “school shooter in the making.” A BSO deputy advises the caller to contact the Palm Beach sheriff.

Jan. 5, 2018: A caller to the FBI’s tip line reports that Cruz has “a desire to kill people” and could potentially conduct a school shooting. The information is never passed on to the FBI’s office in Miami.

Note: this timeline does not include the 39 times Broward County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to complaints about Cruz’s behavior.

Also, back in 2013, the Broward County School Board adopted a program in which they don’t relay information to police about troubled students. NPR reported in Fla. School District Trying To Curb School-To-Prison Pipeline . . .

It’s a move away from so-called “zero tolerance” policies that require schools to refer even minor misdemeanors to the police. Critics call it a “school to prison pipeline.”

Under a new program adopted by the Broward County School District, non-violent misdemeanors — even those that involve alcohol, marijuana or drug paraphernalia — will now be handled by the schools instead of the police.

Cruz was banned from carrying a backpack at school after bullets were found in his backpack. Cruz was expelled from MSD in 2017 after a fight with his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend.

Again, Cruz gets a pass under the Broward County School Board’s official policy of requiring that schools don’t inform the police about non-violent incidents with troubled youth.

“There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus,” Maths teacher Jim Gard told The Miami Herald.

784.011 Assault. —
(1) An “assault” is an intentional, unlawful threat by word or act to do violence to the person of another, coupled with an apparent ability to do so, and doing some act which creates a well-founded fear in such other person that such violence is imminent.

(2) Whoever commits an assault shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

A liberal, feel-good program stepped in the way of enforcing laws we have on the books. Cruz’s actions including fighting and making threats against students and teachers clearly constituted assault.

It is possible that Nikolas Cruz could have been Baker Acted and received the needed medical attention he required. But that wasn’t the case and sadly, 17 people lost their lives as a result.

But let’s go a step further and look directly at the issue of gun control.

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Furious WA Voters Tell Sen. Kuderer Guns Definitely ‘A Woman’s Issue’

Washington State Second Amendment activists are on the warpath against anti-gun State Sen. Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue), sponsor of a bill to ban so-called “high capacity magazines” now moving in the Legislature, because during testimony supporting her measure, she declared “Guns are not a woman’s issue.”

Women gun owners are chiming in on the Washington 2022 Legislative Action Group’s Facebook page, telling the 48th District senator in no uncertain terms that guns are definitely a “woman’s issue.”

The magazine ban legislation was introduced at the request of anti-gun Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson. Kuderer was joined by several other Democrats to introduce the bill.

Now, the Washington Civil Rights Association has put together a scathing video featuring a video clip of Kuderer making the statement on TVW, the legislature’s pubic television service, accompanied by clips of several women involved in acts of armed self-defense. There is circus-type music in the background, and the overall effect is to portray Kuderer as out-of-touch with reality. While there might be a disclaimer if this video were to appear during a television news broadcast, the images don’t seem to bother any of the grassroots activists who have been viewing it.

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Permit-less gun bill moves through General Assembly
‘Constitutional carry’ bill makes last stop before floor debate.

ATLANTA – After years of unsuccessful efforts, gun rights advocates have never been closer to convincing the General Assembly to pass legislation letting Georgians carry concealed firearms without a permit.

“To build a safer, stronger Georgia, we must ensure every Georgian feels safe and secure in their communities,” Gov. Brian Kemp said during his State of the State address last month.

“I believe that starts with fully recognizing the constitutional rights granted to law-abiding Georgians in our founding documents, and I look forward to supporting constitutional carry legislation this session.”

The constitutional carry bill, sponsored by Sen. Jason Anavitarte, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee Feb. 2 along party lines, with six Republican senators supporting it and three Democrats opposed. Its next stop will be the Senate Rules Committee, which is expected to send it to the floor of the chamber for a vote of the full Senate.

“Our organization is grateful for Senator Anavitarte and his unapologetic support of the Second Amendment,” Jerry Henry, executive director of the Georgia gun rights group GA2A, said in a statement issued after the committee vote. “We are one step closer to restoring the constitutional rights afforded to every law-abiding citizen in Georgia.”

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Commentary about SloJoe’s interview with Lester Holt, who tosses softball questions, that the dolt either can’t answer coherently, or blows up on.

Biden Snaps at Reporter and Rejects Reality in Acid Bath of an Interview

The Biden team has indicated they think the problem with Joe Biden’s approval numbers is just a messaging problem, that he needs to get out more in the public and talk more, even as they do all they can to cut off the media from questioning him. But when they do let him out, as they did to do an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt, they always have cause to regret it — because it’s an acid bath.

Holt asked him a number of questions on a variety of subjects.

Biden told him he wouldn’t send troops into Ukraine to rescue Americans if Russia invaded Ukraine because that could trigger a “world war,” and “things could go crazy quickly.” He said there was no scenario in which he would send troops to rescue Americans. “There’s not. That’s a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another.”

Yikes. Once again, even if you don’t want to trigger fighting with Russia, and even if you want Americans to get out now, you don’t say there are no circumstances in which you wouldn’t rescue Americans because you don’t want to face the Russians. That’s incredibly weak and problematic. Plus you’re basically signaling to the Russians not to worry about the possibility of hostilities with the U.S., if they invade while there are Americans still there, Joe Biden won’t do anything, so come in now. I can’t believe how incredibly ignorant Biden is.

“It’s not like we’re dealing with a terrorist organization,” Biden said. “We’re dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It’s a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly.”

Biden added that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is “foolish enough to go in, he’s smart enough not to, in fact, do anything that would negatively impact on American citizens.”

Um, Biden left Americans at the hands of a terrorist organization in Afghanistan. Biden is basically saying that American safety would be up to Putin, not him; he’s out of it.

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Eric is nothing if not determined….. and patient.

Measure derided as the ‘Make Murder Legal Act’ killed in Missouri Senate committee

JEFFERSON CITY — A Missouri Senate panel on Thursday terminated a proposal one county prosecutor called the “Make Murder Legal Act.”

The official name of the measure is Senate Bill 666, which the sponsor, Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, said he didn’t choose.

Members of the GOP-controlled Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee failed to advance the bill out of committee on Thursday.

Burlison, however, told the Post-Dispatch that he could bring the measure back as an amendment to other firearms legislation he’s sponsoring.

“There are multiple ways to pass language,” Burlison said.

The legislation would’ve established a presumption that a defendant acted reasonably in self-defense when they use force against another person.

“I refer to it as the ‘Make Murder Legal Act,’” Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver, a Republican representing the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, said in a Senate committee hearing last week.

“What we are doing with this bill is … basically saying the 6,500 assaults that are committed every single year in Missouri — that every single one of those are automatically presumed to be self-defense,” Oliver said.

Burlison said the claims are overblown.

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IIRC, this is similar to Maryland’s law where you can possess magazines, you just can’t sell them in the state, and that means you can buy all you want when out of state and bring them back.
I’m not going to ‘fisk’ the release, but if the mentioned – noted anti-gun – Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health “study” and  – also noted anti-gun – Violence Policy Center, doesn’t set off your ‘Fraud!” alarm, nothing will.
And the last:
“There is currently no split or controversy in the federal courts of appeal on this issue. The United States Supreme Court has allowed appeals court decisions upholding these laws to stand.”
is – at best – disingenuous propaganda, as the 9th Circuit Court just recently overturned a District Court decision that ruled the California magazine ban was unconstitutional and this case hasn’t reached the Supreme Court for consideration yet. If that isn’t a ‘controversy’, I don’t know what is. So, the Washington State Attorney General merely confirmed he’s just another lying politician.

Washington [state] Senate passes legislation to ban sale of high-capacity magazines in historic vote

OLYMPIA — Today, the Washington state Senate passed Attorney General Request legislation sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, banning the sale of high-capacity magazines in Washington by a 28-20 vote. The bill prohibits the sale of magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds. This is the sixth session the Attorney General has proposed this legislation. Today’s vote marks the first time a limit on magazine capacity has passed a chamber of the Washington Legislature.

Senate Bill 5078 prohibits the sale, attempted sale and distribution of high-capacity magazines. It does not prohibit the possession of high-capacity magazines. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.

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This would have been an addition, a further restriction on RKBA by adding ‘dating partners’ to the original list of relationships that the ‘Lautenberg amendment’ added to the list of people who be permanently prohibited from lawfully possessing a gun. In other words, more gun control.

Lawmakers rolling out Violence Against Women Act without ‘controversial’ provision

A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement on legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that forgoes a key provision that drew opposition from gun rights advocates.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.) was joined by co-authors Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in announcing the legislation at a press conference on Wednesday.

Actress Angelina Jolie, who has been working with lawmakers to promote the legislative effort, was also in attendance with other advocates, along with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who have also been involved in the push.

If passed, it would mark the first time in nearly a decade that the bill has been reauthorized — a move advocates have said is necessary to update the legislation to adequately meet the needs of those it is designed to protect.

“Together, we drafted a bill that preserves the good work of the last reauthorization bill in 2013,” Feinstein said, adding the bill will strengthen “existing programs to support survivors and to prevent and to respond to domestic violence, and that’s dating violence and sexual assault and stalking.”

Feinstein said the legislation will seek to enhance and expand services “for survivors of domestic violence, including survivors in rural communities, LGBT survivors,” as well as survivors with disabilities, and strengthen the criminal justice response to domestic violence.

However, Feinstein added that the bill “is not perfect” and will not address the so-called boyfriend loophole, despite recent efforts by the lawmakers to have it included in the legislation.

In late December, lawmakers unveiled a framework for their reauthorization proposal that outlined a provision advocates said would partially close the loophole by prohibiting individuals convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence against a dating partner from possessing or purchasing firearms or ammunition. Similar restrictions apply to spouses or formerly married partners under current law.

The move marked the latest attempt by lawmakers to go after the loophole in recent years, after previous efforts were attacked by gun rights groups and Republicans as unnecessary “gun control,” though proponents have said it would save lives.

“The boyfriend loophole is a play straight from the Biden gun control agenda. It’s just gun control,” Aidan Johnson, director of federal affairs at Gun Owners of America, said in an interview last month opposing the provision.

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States one step closer in uphill, unconventional approach to amend Constitution, limit federal govt power
17 states have passed the resolution calling for a convention of states

A state senator calling for constitutional amendments said that “overreach on the part of the federal government” has forced states to attempt reform in a way never accomplished before.

The Nebraska Legislature passed a resolution Jan. 28 calling on states to begin the formal process to pass constitutional amendments that would limit the federal government’s spending and jurisdiction, as well as set term limits for members of Congress.

“What’s driving this as much as anything is overreach on the part of the federal government,” Nebraska state Sen. Steve Halloran, who sponsored the resolution, told Fox News.

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Hypocrisy O’ The Day

From The Atlantic ,which is a laugh, as the staff there were rabid pro-mask/pro lockdown……up until the politics changed.

Open Everything. The time to end pandemic restrictions is now.

Well, he’s a politician which means he’s a professional liar.

Beto’s about-face on AR-15s: “I’m not interested in taking anything from anyone”

Virtually every poll in the state of Texas shows Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke’s gubernatorial campaign is in serious trouble, but the biggest sign that the Democrat is failing to make inroads with Texas voters came on Tuesday, as O’Rourke was stumping for votes in Tyler.

Here we are in 2022, and suddenly O’Rourke has a very different message for Texas voters.

Speaking to reporters, O’Rourke also took a question about his controversial stance on guns and remarks made in 2019 about taking away AR-15s and AK-47s.

“I’m not interested in taking anything from anyone. What I want to make sure that we do is defend the Second Amendment,” he said. “I want to make sure that we protect our fellow Texans far better than we’re doing right now. And that we listen to law enforcement, which Greg Abbott refused to do. He turned his back on them when he signed that permitless carry bill that endangers the lives of law enforcement in a state that’s seen more cops and sheriff’s deputies gunned down than in any other.”

So the guy who said he was coming for our guns now claims he wants to defend the Second Amendment, yet in the same breath declares that protecting our right to keep and bear arms means criminalizing carrying a gun without a government permission slip? Does he actually think anyone is going to buy his supposed newfound respect for the Second Amendment when he keeps belittling it?

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Georgia looking at enhanced weapons permits

In the state of Georgia, you’re required to have a permit to carry a firearm in any way. We’ve written a bunch about how constitutional carry is up for consideration, which is a good thing.

However, it’s far from the only pro-gun bill in the General Assembly, either.

One would basically recognize concealed carry bills from every other state. Frankly, if constitutional carry passes, that wouldn’t be overly useful.

Yet another bill would create enhanced permits here in the state.

The State General Assembly is working through multiple bills that could spell more relaxed gun control for Georgians and an even deeper partisan divide.

With the Governor’s support, State Republicans are pushing five different bills that make it easier for citizens to carry weapons.…

Then, there’s HB 903.

Though similar to the other constitutional carry bills, HB 903 takes it up a notch with the concept of an “enhanced carry permit.” Qualified adults wouldn’t need a concealed permit, but those who take a training course could take their weapons into even more places with this special license.

Representative Joseph Gullett, from Dallas, is behind it.

“I would say the constitution allows us to carry weapons and to have weapons. And I think the more accustomed you are, the more training you have, the more comfortable you are, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. I think it’s what the constitution is allowing us,” said Gullett.

Of course, anti-Second Amendment lawmakers in the state oppose this and all the other pro-gun measures.
Shocking, I know.
What I like about the bill is that it doesn’t undermine constitutional carry, but instead works with it and provides an avenue for carrying in more places.

Look, what I’d like to see is what anti-gun types would call “The Wild West.” Namely, everyone carrying whatever they want, wherever they want.

That’s not going to happen, though. Georgians may generally lean pro-gun, but they’ve grown up and comfortable with a certain level of restrictions on those rights. I’m not justifying it, just explaining it. As such, we’re never going to get there.

What does that have to do with enhanced permits? Simple. These permits help normalize the idea of guns in certain places they’re currently not allowed. That’ll be a huge benefit for a lot of people who regularly find themselves needing to go into such places but who would prefer not to have to disarm.

Over time, then maybe we can look at loosening the requirements for these permits until one day we can eliminate them entirely. But you have to start somewhere. We didn’t lose our rights overnight. We’re not getting them back overnight either.

So, we take what we can get, and I think the enhanced permits are a big step forward toward making that happen. As such, and as a Georgian, I fully support this measure and hope to see it pass. I’ll actually look forward to taking a training class in order to get a permit.

Never in a million years thought I’d say that, either.

BLUF:
NOTE: The science hasn’t changed. Not since yesterday, anyway. No, the politics have changed.

When Democrats finally say the same thing Republicans have been saying for months or years, it’s good. Even though it’s still bad when Republicans say it. The exact same message is good and bad at the same time, depending on which political party is delivering it

Yesterday’s ban-worthy “misinformation” becomes today’s conventional wisdom. And then they wonder why we don’t trust them.

Journos and other Democrats hope that by the time the November elections roll around, we’ll have forgotten what they’ve done to us. We’ll overlook how they mocked and ignored us for dissenting from their rhetoric. They think they can magnanimously agree with what we’ve been saying all along, without ever admitting they were wrong, and we’ll vote for them anyway.

Is It Already Too Late for Dems to Abandon COVID Theater?
HINT: Starts with a “y” and rhymes with “guess”

For almost two years now, we’ve had propaganda pounded into our heads every waking moment:

“Wear a mask. Yes, we know we told you at first that you shouldn’t wear a mask, but never mind all that. Get your shots, which will keep you from getting sick or spreading the virus, unless of course you still get sick and/or spread the virus. Look, forget about our assertions of absolute truth yesterday, and just focus on our directly contradictory assertions of absolute truth today. You will listen to us, and the more we flip-flop and pretend we haven’t, the more you will trust us. If you don’t, you’re a Nazi fascist insurrectionist who probably loves Trump, and we’ll get you fired and ruin your life.”

Believe it or not, this message has not worked. People are not convinced. And the more they’re scolded, the more they dig in their heels.

Now there are cracks in the façade. We’re hearing it from Democrat politicians across the country:

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As often is the case with those who oppose this, Chief Gemboski is wrong about the 2nd amendment. It ‘gives’ nothing. It restricts goobermint as eloquently explained in the Bill Of Rights own preamble. Either they’re stupid, or purposely misleading, as the subject has been covered for many years, thus ignorance is no excuse.

Georgia Senate moves forward with proposed ‘constitutional carry’ gun law

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTGS) — The Georgia Senate is moving forward with legislation that would concealed-carry licensing requirements for Georgia gun owners.

On Tuesday, 31 of Georgia’s 56 state senators co-sponsored the bill, which, if passed, will make Georgia the 21st “constitutional carry” state in the U.S.

Gary Glemboski, a retired Savannah police officer and Chief of Police at Hunter Army Airfield, said the second amendment is at the heart of this debate.

 “It basically says that you have the right to defend yourself, to protect yourself from harm. The second amendment gives us the right to own something that allows us to do that. Right now, in The State of Georgia, you have to get a concealed carry license from the county that you reside in. With constitutional carry, you won’t have to do that,” Glemboski explained.

Brett Curry, a professor of political science at Georgia Southern University, said the legal debate surrounds the government’s ability to limit personal rights.

“A right can be subject to limitations, you know, in terms of, the right to free speech isn’t going to allow someone to shout ‘fire’ in a crowded theater, for example,” Curry said. However, Curry said this legislation would expand the state’s interpretation of the second amendment and would withstand a constitutional challenge. “If The Bill of Rights, including the right to bare arms, is the floor that you can’t go lower than, the state, here, is not trying to go through the floor,” Curry said, “It’s trying to actually ratchet up protection for the rights in question, as they see it.”

Background checks are one way that the government limits legal who can purchase a gun.

If passed, this legislation would mean that prospective gun owners still have to go through a federally mandated background check prior to purchasing a firearm, but they would not have to go to their county courthouse for a second background review and licensure. Glemboski said he doesn’t believe Georgia’s licensing process adds to gun owner safety.

“The way I understand it- it’s coming from basically the same database, the same information source, whether you’re purchasing your handgun or whether you’re doing a background check for a license,” Glemboski said.

Glemboski, also a firearms safety instructor, said he is a strong advocate of gun safety training. While Georgia’s neighbors, Florida and South Carolina, require between eight and 16 hours of training in order to obtain a license, Georgia doesn’t require any training.

Glemboski said a license to carry would be more meaningful if it had training requirements. “I wouldn’t want to give a 15-year-old or a 16-year-old a diver’s license without some type of driver’s training,” he said. “With firearms it’s the same thing, maybe even a little more serious because of the nature of what we’re dealing with.”

Senators Want EARN IT Bill to Scan All Online Messages.

People don’t want outsiders reading their private messages —not their physical mail, not their texts, not their DMs, nothing. It’s a clear and obvious point, but one place it doesn’t seem to have reached is the U.S. Senate.

A group of lawmakers led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have re-introduced the EARN IT Act, an incredibly unpopular bill from 2020 that was dropped in the face of overwhelming opposition. Let’s be clear: the new EARN IT Act would pave the way for a massive new surveillance system, run by private companies, that would roll back some of the most important privacy and security features in technology used by people around the globe. It’s a framework for private actors to scan every message sent online and report violations to law enforcement. And it might not stop there. The EARN IT Act could ensure that anything hosted online—backups, websites, cloud photos, and more—is scanned.

New Internet Rules, From Juneau to Jackson

The bill empowers every U.S. state or territory to create sweeping new Internet regulations, by stripping away the critical legal protections for websites and apps that currently prevent such a free-for-all—specifically, Section 230. The states will be allowed to pass whatever type of law they want to hold private companies liable, as long as they somehow relate their new rules to online child abuse.

The goal is to get states to pass laws that will punish companies when they deploy end-to-end encryption, or offer other encrypted services. This includes messaging services like WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage, as well as web hosts like Amazon Web Services. We know that EARN IT aims to spread the use of tools to scan against law enforcement databases because the bill’s sponsors have said so. In a “Myths and Facts” document distributed by the bill’s proponents, it even names the government-approved software that they could mandate (PhotoDNA, a Microsoft program with an API that reports directly to law enforcement databases).

The document also attacks Amazon for not scanning enough of its content. Since Amazon is the home of Amazon Web Services, host of a huge number of websites, that implies the bill’s aim is to ensure that anything hosted online gets scanned.

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