They killed CCW reform in Michigan!

B

Brett Bellmore

New member
Gun bill runs out of time in Lansing
School shootings dampened backing for easier permits
By B.G. Gregg / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

LANSING -- The Michigan Legislature hunkers down today for its final week before summer break, and perhaps most noteworthy about the busy agenda is an item that won't appear: legislation reforming the state's concealed weapons laws.
While House Speaker Chuck Perricone, R-Kalamazoo Township, had yet to make a formal announcement about what he intended to do with gun legislation, all indications are that it will be set aside until at least the fall.
"There's just not enough time to get it done," said John Truscott, spokesman for Gov. John Engler. "They've got budgets to deal with."
Gun advocates have eagerly anticipated the legislation since Republicans captured both chambers of the Legislature last fall. The bill establishes statewide standards for receiving a concealed weapons permit, but eliminates some of the local gun boards' discretion. The proposal seemed destined for quick approval, but school shootings in Colorado and Georgia dampened enthusiasm and caused Republicans to fear voter backlash.
Also likely to be put on hold until fall: legislation to raise the maximum number of charter schools permitted under state law. The bill still needs work to find consensus.
Those issues aside, the Legislature will be extremely busy this week. Much of this week's business will revolve around determining state agency budgets, but some noteworthy bills should come up.
"The only bills we have to deal with because of timing are the merit scholarships and the presidential primary," said Lorri Rishar, spokeswoman for Perricone.
In order to move up next year's primary from March to February, legislation must be passed now. Also, if the Class of 2000 is to qualify for the merit scholarships, that legislation must pass before summer break.

Top issues
State lawmakers will spend most of this week dealing with state budgets, but here are some issues that also will surface:
* Legislation that slowly eliminates the state's 2.3 percent Single Business Tax by one-tenth of one percent for each of the next 23 years.
* Legislation that sets aside tobacco settlement money for college scholarships.
* A bill to move the presidential primary from the third Tuesday in March to the third Tuesday in February.

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Of course, they didn't "run out of time", they "ran out the clock". I am just SO mad; From a two-thirds vote in both houses, to DOA, in the space of three weeks!
 
"There's just not enough time to get it done," said John Truscott, spokesman for Gov. John Engler. "They've got budgets to deal with."

And there you have it: spending your money is more important to the grubmint than ensuring your safety.


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"America is at that awkward stage.
It's too late to work within the system,
but too early to start shooting the bastards."
--Claire Wolfe
 
Brett,
Arent ya'll the state that throw your legislators out when they dont do what ya want and the heck with the consequences...here ya go--here's a local opportunity to do what the libertarians want to do to the republican party at the national level---throw em out and start over.....and in another 10 or 15 years when ya have enuf libertarians in office, you can repeal all the restrictions......
I know thats somewhat cynical, but we ''gun owners'' are being caught between a rock and hard place, and the dem's/supported by there media have out manuvered and out played republicans at every step and ya know Id like to get a little of my own back from these republican representives myself, but I have to ask my self would we better off with 4 to 8 years of more democratic control? The durn democrats have successfully fractured the conservative vote...and what really pisses me off is that these represenative we have on our side let it happen.......theere is a quote that the best politician of our day said-----''I have to first get elected before I can make changes''...that was bill clinton. \
..fubsy.
 
Coinneach, you noted:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
"There's just not enough time to get it done," said John Truscott, spokesman for Gov. John Engler. "They've got budgets to deal with."

And there you have it: spending your money is more important to the grubmint than ensuring your safety.
[/quote]

More importantly, spending our money (I'm in Michigan) is more important to the grubmint than ensuring our rights. Slightly different, but much more important. All they have to do is ensure my rights. Since courts have decided that LEA's aren't responsible for our safety, I'll do my best to ensure my own damn safety.


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Don LeHue

The pen is mightier than the sword...outside of arms reach. Modify radius accordingly for rifle.
 
Yes, we ARE the state that throws the bums out, no matter the consequences. As the bums will learn in about 16 months. I'm still in shock, frankly; From a two thirds vote of both houses, to DOA, in a few weeks... This is definately a problem with the Republican LEADERSHIP in the legislature, and not the rank and file. It's not a question of not being able to win the vote, if it's held; The Republican leadership won't PERMIT the vote to be held! So I expect that's where we'll concentrate our limited resources: At bouncing the state House and Senate leaders out of office in 2000. If we don't mount a recall campaign first.

As both a 2nd amendment activist, and a long time member of the Libertarian party, I have to admit to being VERY conflicted at the moment. I'm simultaniously elated that it's now obvious to everyone that the Libertarian party is the only national pro-gun party, and depressed at how bad things are going to get before we've supplanted the Republicans.
 
Brett,
Im right there with ya, but know that vote is the only real weapon we have to get there attention---the politicians dont listen any other way---were damned if we do and damned if we dont....Ive come to the conclusion that we are going to take one heck of a beating before we get our point accross with no gurantee that we will be able to correct it...I will continue to vote for the republican that supports my constitutional rights and if one dosent, then Ill vote for whatever libertarian canidate is competing for his seat, I dont know if there will be one though....If we dont pull our act together and start making our our anger and frustration felt were it can cause them some pain and loss of position, we will lose....fubsy.
 
Here's the epitaph: (They've dropped that lie about bringing this measure back in the fall.)

NRA drops effort to revise concealed weapons law

June 10, 1999
BY DAWSON BELL
FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU

LANSING -- The drive to revise Michigan's concealed weapons law -- pushed off the front burner in recent weeks by a vigorous counteroffensive from anti-gun groups -- has been quietly shut down altogether at the urging of the nation's most prominent gun rights advocate, the National Rifle Association.

A representative of the NRA told backers of Michigan's legislation in a Tuesday meeting that the measure is ill-timed and would lead to an expensive and probably unsuccessful ballot proposal, several of those who attended said.

One of them, State Sen. Bill Bullard Jr., R-Highland, said the NRA plans to "target candidates in the next election, and they really don't have the resources to fight a ballot proposal in Michigan." Without backing from the NRA, the measure is essentially a dead issue, Bullard and other lawmakers said.

NRA spokesman Jim Manown said Wednesday afternoon that he could not comment.

But the NRA representative who briefed lawmakers Tuesday said the gun rights group was preoccupied with antigun initiatives in Congress and the recent wave of lawsuits by cities against gun manufacturers. The NRA also is still recovering from the effects of a concealed weapons ballot proposal in Missouri in April that lost.

Even Sen. David Jaye, R-Washington Twp., the most passionate critic of current concealed weapons law in the Legislature, said Wednesday that Michigan reform efforts are all over for the foreseeable future.

State Attorney General Jennifer Granholm and Assistant Wayne County Executive Mike Duggan helped put together a coalition of groups which announced three weeks ago their intention to mount a ballot proposal to overturn changes in the CCW law if they were enacted.

Different versions of the legislation were approved by wide margins in both the House and Senate. Both would have prohibited permits for violent criminals and the mentally disturbed, and would have placed new restrictions on where permit holders could carry weapons. But they also would have prohibited county gun boards who issue the permits from denying one without cause.

DAWSON BELL can be reached at 1-313-222-6609.
 
Brett: here's one for you, a reply from Mich. State Senator Joel Gougeon, dated 10 June 1999 12:41PM.
"...The issue of concealed weapons is one that has been brought up many times and has yet to be resolved. Recently the Senate passed SB 460 and HB 4530, both which would loosen Michigan's current concealed weapons laws. Senate Bill 460 is awaiting consideration by the House Committee on Conservation and Outdoor Recreation, while the amended version of the House Bill 4530 will be considered for concurrence with the Senate by the members of the House of Representatives."
"..as a lifetime member of the NRA I have supported...Please be assured that as I continue to review information brought before me I will keep your concerns in mind." Signed Joel Gougeon, State Senator, 34th District.
This E-mail was received as I was reading in the Saginaw News the article that stated the legislation was dead, the NRA had withdrawn after supporting it this far. I think you had posted a similiar notice the day before.
Sounds to me like the senator needs to keep current on pending legislation, especially when this information was generally known a week ago. I don't think my greatest concern is the dead legislation as much as the legislators lack of knowledge concerning it.


[This message has been edited by Gunfounder (edited June 11, 1999).]
 
Gunfounder: Hey, I got the same email from him; I guess he updates his form letters fairly infrequently.
The beauty of the NRA offically giving up on this, rather than simply saying, "We don't have the resources to pursue this fight, but that doesn't let you off the hook for killing this bill." is that the Republicans who killed the legislation will NOT get black marks for it in their candidate rating. They get to have their cake, and eat it too; Kill CCW reform, AND get good ratings from the NRA.
 
It ain't over till the fat lady sings. We still have a chance with it in the fall. Don't give up hope now. It has been set aside, but has NOT officially been killed.

As for the NRA pulling support, don't believe everything you read.

And lastly don't give all the credit to the NRA. MANY local pro-gun groups did most of the work to get these CCW reforms in motion.

Michael K - NRA, MCRGO
 
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