Lawmaker Invites Magpul to WV

I somehow missed the news a few weeks ago that relates to my last post about WV lawmakers urging Beretta to move to West Virginia. Apparently Delegate Joshua Nelson from Boone County wrote a letter to the management at Magpul Industries in Colorado when they threatened to leave that state if a law restricting magazine capacity was enacted. While I would hate to see the good folks currently working at Magpul potentially loose their jobs, I understand the company's stance. If they don't take stands against these laws, there could end up being no states left that they could sell their products in.

Give a Big 'Thank You' to the WV Attorney General

According to a Valentine's Day press release from West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, he has filed an amicus brief in the Kachalsky v. Cacace case, which challenges a New York law that requires a person to show a particular need to obtain a permit to carry a firearm outside the home.

As I mentioned in my very first post on this blog, the Heller ruling pretty much strikes down the ability of a government to arbitrarily issue permits. It took a few more years than I thought it would, but there has now been a petition for a writ of certiorari filed in this case. West Virginia, along with 19 other states and constitutional rights groups like the Cato Institute, are supporting this petition with amicus briefs. If the Supreme Court grants the petition, this should lead to a ruling that strikes down 'May Issue' permit laws around the country. So, given that a federal appeals court recently ruled that Illinois has to offer some type of legal carry, 'Shall Issue' may soon be the law in all the states.

Manchin Selling Out WV to Gun-Grabbers

A group of four Senators, including Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) , are negotiating a bill that would require background checks for all private transfers of firearms. The main issue with this bill would be enforcement. In order to know if background checks are being performed, the government would have to have a record of who owns the gun in question. 'Universal Background Checks' quickly become a national gun registry. You can find a memo from Obama's Justice Department that comes to the same conclusion here (pdf).
Many gun control advocates will say it's not a big deal because no one wants to confiscate your guns. There are politicians from the local to the federal levels that want nothing less than confiscation. Take this example of a Pennsylvania politician from Bitter over at Shall Not Be Questioned.

On top of the de facto gun registry issue, there is also the question of efficacy.

1) Aurora, Colorado Shooter - passed a background check.
2) Tucson, Arizona Shooter - passed a background check.
3) Virginia Tech Shooter - passed a background check.
4) LAPD Cop Rampage Shooter - passed a background check.
5) Family Council Shooter - passed a background check.  


And finally, the incident that was the catalyst for the government's renewed interest in infringing Second Ammendment rights... 

6) Newtown, Connecticut - The shooter was actually denied by a background check. Instead the shooter murdered someone who he knew owned firearms, stole the firearms belonging to the victim, and went on to kill over 25 others.  

None of these firearms were purchased through some imaginary "loophole" for private transfers.  

Let Senator Manchin know that background checks on private transfers will do nothing but infringe on the rights of Americans by contacting him directly.

2013 WVCDL Legislative Tracking

The WVCDL has released its 2013 West Virginia Legislative Tracking webpage. Here is a list of bills that the organization is currently supporting, in order of importance:

• HB2558 - Strengthen preemption to strip old gun bans from various cities (WVCDL bill) - strongly support
• HB2572 - hunting cleanup, loaded magazines in vehicles allowed, open carry in the woods and in a car allowed. (WVCDL bill) - strongly support
• HB2560 - School carry for all CCW (WVCDL bill) - strongly support
• HB2561 - Waiver of CCW fees for veterans - strongly support
• HB2465 - Strengthen preemption (Weaker and more complex than WVCDL bill) - Strongly Support
• HB2471 - Prohibits confiscation and restriction during state of emergency. (Speaker Thompson's bill, this will pass the house with strong WVCDL support)
• HB2502 - Prohibits doctors from asking questions about firearms - strongly support
• HB2135 - Allows weapons securely stored in vehicles on state capitol complex. - support
• HB2294 - Allows firearms in parking lots of companies that prohibit firearms, school pickup/drop-off - support
• HB2390 - Teachers CCW on school property with Board of Ed approval - support
• HB2427 - States that firearms manufactured in-state are not subject to federal regulation - support
• HB2431 - Allowing recovery of rights for people with expunged convictions and judicial review - support
• HB2437 - Exempt handgun training from sales tax - support
• HB2459 - Allow carry with additional fees and background checks on capitol complex - support
• HB2504 - Nullification act for federal laws - support

The WVCDL is asking that residents contact their state legislators and voice their support. You can find your representative here.

Courts Actually Use Existing Laws

One of the biggest problems in our justice system is that the courts rarely enforce the laws that would put criminals in jail for a significant sentence. Plea bargains and prosecutors who pad their records by filing 'lesser charges' are mostly to blame for these light sentences. In an effort to crack down on the drugs and violence in the city of Huntington, local prosecutors teamed up with the Feds to make sure that a drug dealer serves the maximum time possible:

Ambrea Virginia Ragland, 23, of Huntington, pleaded guilty Tuesday before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
... officers seized crack cocaine, heroin, ecstacy, marijuana, hydrocodone, oxycodone and a fully loaded .22 caliber revolver ...
Ragland is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 6. She faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Herald Dispatch, 7-10-2008

Now if only more communities would enforce existing gun laws, we could start to make a dent. But instead, I'm sure politicians will continue to push for more gun laws instead of using the thousands that are already on the books. After all, a lot of them only know how to propose redundant 'feel-good' legislation & help out their political friends. But really, what are they gonna do? Get honest jobs?